I am leaning on local first for my next investment, but not ruling out an out-of-market opportunity. 

Lastly funding developer who has 3 subdivisions going in WA DC market. these are big time deals and with our funds for the soft costs  500 k to 1 mil on each project my client is going to make  sit down  but probably over 10 million net  life changing money and well we will do good too !!

Can you suggest a few good insurance providers that operate in that market?

thanks for the guidance @Kaushik Sarkar Since it's development it will take longer to get to the exit. 3 years could be right depending on the market, if the project requires entitlements, how long it takes for permits, no major utility obstacles, etc.

Are there any particular markets or investment strategies you’re leaning toward?

When I worked with a property management company, we had someone buy a unit (single family) that had a STR and marketed it as a STR.

Hows the market up there these days?

This will allow you to enter the market earlier with funds saved up.

To start your journey, I recommend focusing on building your network by joining meetups and engaging in online forums, while narrowing down your first investment based on your budget, market, and goals.

Most of these course instructors aren't qualified to teach anything but the most elementary real estate concepts and try to make their courses more marketable by teaching concepts they have no business teaching.