But if you know any other resources or great spots to get started, please share them! 

This is basically what I made for myself:So every morning I get a report of everything new that hits the market in LA/Ventura, and I can just click the google links, check it out on RedFin/Zillow, and if it seems promising, fully underwrite it (using tools and/or manually), then offer on it.Don't try and come up with an auto-offer estimate, you can't tell the visual quality of the home or how much the construction will be, etc, stick to estimating values of renovated and distressed property in your tools, make it easy to fill those comps/value metrics into an underwriting model/proforma, and let the end users tweak numbers/select comps/etc so they feel confident in everything.

Hi Terrence, welcome to the world of rental property investing—it’s an exciting journey, and you’ve picked a great spot to start!

I now am more selective about loan officers as well as lenders. 

Pretty much the core of the STR business.Higher your rank gets, you can increase your price and be more picky in selecting customers which usually lead to a better review / less party or complaints / less expense and higher profit with a happy life.I know some people will argue, but the ranking system is the truth and should be the only guide to your STR journey. 

You’re spot-on about the "missing middle."

The sweet spot for us is sub 400k and we are looking mostly in NH, central MA and possibly RI for deals.  

Rents have been pretty close to what the housing authorities advertise, sometimes even a bit higher.Fort Wayne’s a solid spot with low taxes and good cash flow—definitely worth looking into.

Too many people get stuck in analysis by paralysis and then before they know it it's been 5 years and they are in the same spot Do you think my age will impact my authority as a landlord?

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!