I would add to everyone's point you want to find your strengths and what you bring to the the table and then surround yourself around other people who can help you with the gaps  You're going to need deals, contractors and capital.  

I'm from Asheboro NC looking 80 miles surrounding areas for my 1st long term rental. 

.- Bullish on long term appreciation as many high net worth individuals move to the area, surrounding areas seeing luxury development, and businesses (Wall Street South).- Majority mom and pop operators, easy to become a top listing with the right marketing and property!

Picture this: a cozy little hideaway tucked into the hills, surrounded by nothing but nature's beauty.

Look on loopnet Selfstorage in your surrounding states.

Instead of focusing solely on typical tourist destinations, consider exploring areas surrounding National Parks, state parks, or unique outdoor recreation spots that lack sufficient lodging options, presenting a prime opportunity for short-term rentals (STRs).

However, if your house is surrounded by boarded up houses and old cars in the lawn, your medium term rental will definitely suffer.

Sometimes this is challenging, so a good thing to do is look at the immediate area surrounding the property in question.

When I started focusing more on the surrounding counties 45 minutes outside a metropolitan city, my return on investment increased tremendously.

I always believe you have to surround yourself with the right people but at the same time you need to be educated.