- Given your experience level, without an inspection, I'd turn around and walk away.

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

It’s exciting to see how doors open when you have someone who knows how to navigate the space.I just wanted to share this because it’s been such an eye-opening experience for me.

You get PM experience, lower expenses, you don't live with your parents anymore, etc.. 

I wouldn't want to cancel anyone last-minute, but I definitely want to get in there with in a month of closing and experience it from the guest perspective. 

But if you only have one rental and you get a bad tenant you are sunk.Read the laws and talk to some mom/pop landlords with decades of experience.

Does anyone have recent experience in markets in any of these states they can share?

Does anyone have experience buying properties for cheap from land banks, renovating them, and renting them out/selling them?

@Robert Gorra - I've had a similar experience where I've had a really hard time with getting GC's to even give me an estimate, and the few that have have been way overpriced (ie, they want me to put in $20k of cabinets in a budget flip) or have had their prices go up by about 40% and still not give me a firm price when I try to nail down the scope of work.

Here is my list of the most dangerous real estate related investments for the “non professional” investor lacking direct knowledge  and experience in these investments 1.