To do it safely its a niche and one needs to be aware of all the things that can trap you and cause you a negative experience..

Building county niche lists is another strong method. 

@Pradeep RoyI'd prefer LVP, but that certainly wouldn't be an issue for me if my overall numbers/returns on the deal met my criteria.

It’d be great to know a little more about your market preferences and non-negotiables, since Alabama’s pretty diverse in terms of what it can offer.For example, the Huntsville area is a much higher-growth market than Birmingham, and the median home in each area is priced accordingly to reflect that difference.Even individual markets can vary widely by zip code—properties in a Birmingham suburb like Forestdale are going to fetch dramatically different rents than homes in a neighborhood like Mountain Brook or Vestavia Hills.In any case, let us know what your buying criteria look like, and we can give more pointed recommendations.

I personally like to have a mix of STR and LTR so that my portfolio is well diversified but my preference is LTR as I tend to focus more on appreciation than cash flow.

Pair it with some local al-a-carte activity add-ons (partner with owners of these businesses Trap Shooting, Of Roading, Horseback Riding, etc...) and your rental can build its own niche

If that were true the various real estate niches would have almost unlimited competition and profits would head toward 0.  

Tenants in Common (TIC): If forming an entity isn’t preferred, you can hold the properties as Tenants in Common (TIC), where each of you has a defined percentage of ownership on the title.

Brian stated "The preferred pricing on Appliances, Cabinets, and Flooring will be live in 72 hours".

Here’s how to get itFor an unbiased legal opinion, consultant with an attorney whose fee isn’t contingent on outcome, or loading billable hoursFor an unbiased financial opinion, consultant with a FEE ONLY financial or FEE ONLY investment advisorFor an unbiased real estate opinion, consultant with a fee based consultant, preferably one who has obtained the CRE (counselors of real estate ) designation.