You can get screwed on changing markets and unreliable contractors though.  

In our market (Charlotte,NC), the RE Attorney we work with mentioned that the majority of the evictions he saw in 2024 were from zillow applications!

The issue I see is that market has historical appreciation below average (not bad, but slightly poor).  

I'm a local realtor and investor, so I’d love to help you find the right property and navigate the market.

Depends on the market!

I think our modeling has adapted to market changes over the years, so we've stuck with Excel as we can easily change the parameters to keep it "fresh".

In CA (my market) the seller is required to make honest disclosure statement and you can collect for material non-disclosure.I suspect you already have learned that you need to check the status of all permits. 

I have found some of the best contractors from Facebook groups in the local market for example "Real Estate Investors of Oklahoma City".

It's not RTR's fault the property can't absorb proper cap ex, that's a product of the market.

I live and invest in the Lafayette area myself - I own several in the area - broussard, freetown, broadmoor etc There's a decent market here, I think it's somewhat competitive but there is some availability as wellOff-market is the way to go 100%Purchasing a starter home is a great way to get started - I turned my first home into a rental before I even looked into real estate investing.