I literally don't expect to speak to my tenants more than once a quarter. 

@Timothy Newsome Speaking of suggestions, please see my last post.

I can't speak to Richmond, but when I started out I was able to get referrals to a good agent from a real estate investor group in my area. 

@Dakota Williams While it’s nice to improve the ARV and obtain appreciation for when you sell I’ve discovered that most of the time I can’t access that “hidden value” because to refi out the new value would leave the property with negative cash flow.

After spending hours on due diligence and speaking with two different attorneys.

Then you are 'in the game' so to speak.

Interesting - I have been investing in Philly for 8 years, run a  group of 2500 small landlords, speak at lots of events, know and network with many of the players  . . . but never heard of him before.

Just speak to your broker about it and they should be able to give you some easy solutions.

Expect to spend a considerable amount of your time speaking to people.Expect to work dozens of hours/week with little to no immediate result.Expect most of your early interest from potential clients to come from your sphere of influence.Expect to go 3-6 months without getting paid (unless you do rentals which usually pay faster)Expect to be bombarded with distractions - mainly, people/companies marketing to you so that you choose their system for quick and easy buyer or seller leads.

Also in terms of identifying good areas, I'd speak with several realtors and property management companies to hear their opinions on what sells.