😂Plenty of lovely folks there, plus it's where Cannon Air Force Base is located, but we soon discovered that just having a base nearby didn't necessarily make for a lively real estate market.Shortly after that, we adopted our MUCHAS criteria:M - Near a military baseU - Has at least one college or universityC - Has a Costco or equivalentH - Has a hospital ranked at least as a Level II Trauma CenterA - Has a commercial airportS - Has a Sprouts (organic grocery) or equivalentThis has led us to look at often-overlooked markets like Lubbock, Texas and Augusta, Georgia.May be worth a look for you as well!

“A QOF is an investment vehicle that files either a partnership or corporate federal income tax return and is organized for the purpose of investing in QOZ property.”What are the benefits of buying property in an opportunity zone?

Maybe your situation is different and if you don’t feel comfortable in the neighborhood then this may be a moot point anyway.As for FHA, my understanding is that you must intend to live in the house for a year  it sounds like you did intend to, but due to unexpected circumstances- lead exposure and unexpected unsafe neighborhood- you have to move.

Quote from @Elizabeth Rose: @Josh Bowser this tip of doing a quick search on county GIS or software to see if homes in a neighborhood are owned in personal names or LLCs is gold, thank you!

How did you decide which neighborhood/street/zip code to start with?

Hi all, thanks for taking the time to read and provide your ideas.I am just starting out (in the UK), and I have been reaching out to real estate investors on linkedin and facebook, organizing chats to learn more about where they started, where they see opportunities currently in our market, etc.One question which all investors asked me is: What is my strategy?

They look rough on the exterior and most of them are located in the class C neighborhood.

Ramsha - most of the regulation for a STR is controlled by the neighborhood HOA.

As a good starting point, I suggest getting information on a few different neighborhoods and setting some goals.

There's so much content and so many individuals who push inexperienced investors to take action before they are financially ready while downplaying the risks, particularly those associated with  properties in lower tier neighborhoods.