Great points, ZharaBirmingham has relatively steady and diverse rental demand, and I’ve seen many investors I work with have success with C/B class buy-and-holds.Location is key—areas near UAB, major employers, and popular suburbs tend to have the strongest rental demand, while C/D class markets offer solid affordable housing and Section 8 opportunities.

As an investor myself, I can also help you find more deals and grow your rental business. 

Out-of-state investing in cash-flow markets or partnering with experienced investors for passive returns are also great ways to put your capital to work.

Like you said , anyone can check the history,  I do have cameras installed and I do check twice weekly, it's not too far from my primary home . im a first time investor, is it ok to DM the listing to see if I'm missing something?  

I've got about 7k in an emergency savings account.I am in the process of getting several mortgage pre-approvals to compare fees and get an idea of how much home I can realistically afford.I have yet to find a buyer's agent/investor to help me identify potential homes but will start on that shortly.Ideally, I would like to buy a single family home.

Welcome to my weekly skeptical investor forum, right here on BP!

HiI am real estate investor and Realtor living in Naperville, IL.

I reach out just to help as I'm a local agent/investor here in the area; and my focus is primarily on investment properties with my clients.

Another option is to estimate value based on potential income and market cap rates, which can give you an investor’s perspective.

Lots of DC area investors here.