I don't think Bigger Pockets will allow me to post links, but the pros and cons summarize the article well.ProsIncrease potential ROI of retirement savings by investing in nearly any type of asset.Rental property can hedge against inflation and economic fluctuations with a diversified retirement portfolio.Profits generated from a rental property in an SDIRA allow for tax-free growth.Property can be bought and sold within an SDIRA without using a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.ConsUsing all of your retirement savings to purchase a rental property in an SDIRA can significantly reduce diversification and increase potential risk.Rental property held in an SDIRA cannot be for personal use or family use (like a vacation home), including distant relatives or service providers of the SDIRA.All expenses must be paid for with SDIRA funds, third-party contractors must make the repairs and manage the property, and funds deposited in an SDIRA beyond annual contribution limits will incur significant penalties.Tax benefits, such as depreciation and operating expenses to create a paper loss for tax purposes, cannot be claimed with rental property held in an SDIRA.I see that @Jeff Nash also referenced prohibited transactions in his reply, and that he's an accountant so he would probably have additional information to add if you wanted more details on what is and isn't allowed.

Zoning as it is today is a fairly modern phenomena and in the not too distant past what could be build was what an owner decided was best (over simplification but somewhat valid).

I would be more inclined to invest in distant locations if I wasn't having any luck in my local market.

Any class neighborhood has challenges, so having a management company that is experienced and screens for good tenants will be incredibly valuable, especially as a distant investor.

Louis is a distant fourth.

Thank you, we have some distant relatives in Arizona and Virginia - but the rest are in California mainly.

That's why I'm going to find ways to stay around Vancouver.I disagree with managing long distant property is 'just a mind set'.

I have a distant rental property , I have tried using turbotenant rent collection tool but it is very unreliable (it takes long time and falls through ) , the tenant has been paying by cashier check and I need to stop by (5 hours drive from my town of residence) for the past two months , however this is not a viable method in long run for me. 

@Lucas AndersonI agree with you on the 3% range... but the high 4 / low 5% range is well within reason in the not to distant future.  

More specifically, is there a greater risk in being distant from a first-time investment property?