Look at how people invested 20, 40, or 60 years ago.

I am considering getting into this space (looking at some courses), but worried that its too late, and that deep local market knowledge/understanding of buyers/connection with developers etc is required to make this work, which only incumbent/long term investors will have and would be hard for a new entrant starting from scratch to catch-up...is my hypothesis valid in your opinion ?

While I doubt I'll be investing here (terrified that property taxes and the pension debt will ultimately cripple property values), I'm always interested in meeting new people.

I still wouldn't give people an all-access closet. 

I would not borrow from ANY lender I learned of over the internet unless I knwe personally people who had used them. 

It’s hit and miss, really need to deeply understand what they offer, if they will work for you or against you, whether they sign the lease or you (I prefer me, to reduce that lock jn). 

There's definitely some opportunity with people wanting to make moves post-storm.

One of my close friends in the busines had a similar setup.. her husband was also a contractor, and together they tackled a fixer-upper that ended up netting them a solid profit on their first deal.When you’re hunting for the right property, I’d lean on a realtor who really understands investor math... someone who’ll help you break down potential cash flow or resale value.

Quote from @Josh Lansberry: You will hear a lot of people bad-mouth him, but Dave Ramsey can teach you how to get financially savvy real quick.

Things just require more ongoing expenses percentage wise out of state because you have to pay people to do everything for you and you will have a longer time building relationships with vendors even when getting decent referrals.