I understand the capital region, the Adirondack region, and Western New York (Rochester and Buffalo) have their strengths and weaknesses, but I'm going to focus on this central part of the state.Binghamton is my favorite investment market for a few reasons, but it's not for everyone.STRENGTHS-  low prices-  blue collar overall, meaning lots of resources for contractors-  growing university, consistently growing rents-  I expect to see an actual 10% cap rate here, higher if the property needs work-  compared to downstate, permitting, evictions, etc. are simple and quick-  no code compliance inspections required on existing multifamiliesWEAKNESSES-  no. natural. appreciation.

And I do like the idea of bucking the trend, being a little contrarian, etc.If you haven't already done so, I'd recommend attending an upcoming RI Real Estate Investors Group meeting, which meets monthly in person for members and monthly virtually for members and non-members.

If it's annoying, I agree, lawsuits after-the-fact ARE very annoying and due to such that's why everyone get's to enjoy this new universal annoyance. 

Our virtual bookkeeper has folks on Stessa, Quickbooks, or REI Hub.

1.Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Money and Rookie Podcasts2.Attend the FREE WEBINARS3.Attend a Meetup in Your Area / virtual meet ups4.Purchase the Beginner Books: How to Invest in Real Estate, Set for Life, The House Hacking Strategy5.Peruse the forums!

Pay it forward, the universe will reciprocate if you helped someone out who is in a tough scenario. 

Although, as mentioned at the top, the pull chain switches are often a weak spot, however they are often easy to simply replace with an inexpensive, universal replacement switch from the hardware store.

We may have a potential sub 2 deal in University Park.

Re-organizing our rental houses into their own LLCs and considering using a virtual business address for each of these. 

You can find owner data for virtually any property type then just contact the owner and strike up a deal.