Looking all over the country is just going to be either overwhelming or waste a lot of energy

You tried your shot, why waste more energy and time in this?

These markets are very large in NC (comparable and larger than Fayetteville) providing for great economics as well as a more diverse employment base.Doing a renovation is not as intimidating if you have the right team that can provide you comfort with before-and-after's of other projects they've done, plus accurate $s surrounding those projects.

Since they wouldn't answer my call, I texted back why and the response was "economics didn't work." 

I don't care about someone's color, religion, sexual proclivities, their stance on green energy, political affiliation, etc.I want people that pay rent on time, take care of the property, and communicate when needed.

That used to be a big deal, now not so much.....There was a long period where that was not really a consideration yet people continued to prefer separated rooms.And to the extent that energy costs continue to rise it is likely to be relevant again (and actually already is for a lot of people). 

These investors are typically large financial institutions looking for safe, predictable returns, such as pension funds, insurance companies, and banks.Key concepts to understand in economics and finance are risk and reward.

No population growth, no economic surge and rents have stayed flat.

Great energy with this group.

I'd recommend markets where you can find cash flowing properties, population & economic growth that will lead to long term appreciation.