The thing you have to ask about crime stats is "what is the source?"

She will tell you anything you want to hear and is not a reliable source of information.Personally, I would dig really, really deep or (my more likely choice) deny the application.

For the record, I have read:- Loopholes of Real Estate by Gary Sutton- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki- Investing in Real Estate with Little to no Money Down by Brandon Turner- Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor by Han & McFarland- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel- The Book on Rental Property Investing (first book I've read here) by Brandon Turner- The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary KellerReading has been my biggest source for knowledge and Brandon Turner has become one of my favorite authors now!

In some of my properties I have a 2nd heat source.

Speaking from 31yrs of experience, I'd keep it in your local area as close as you can to your your residence.Also, there aren't many undervalued areas in the US - RE has been a main source of income/investment for decades now and it's finally ballooned to the top.

@Shaun BeckRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

when I am back from the mean streets of  Real Estate hunting, BP is my source of encouragement tells it like it is with the reality of real estate investing.

What sources did you base this list off? 

Nobody in the industry will do these, your going to need your rich uncle to step in & lend you capital, come up with cash, or pull equity from another source.

Cross-reference information from multiple reputable sources to ensure accuracy.2.