I don't minimize that, only to say that in the past people had that AND massive societal problems, war, scarcity and economic poverty.

If you have a good agent, trust your agent, they should be a great guide and tool for you.

If you think they'll shrug you off, you'll be surprised.As you figure out the best strategy for you and what these deals look like, you can start meeting with investor-friendly agents to help guide you further and start analyzing deals. 

As you’re probably aware, navigating the zip areas can be a little tricky since it’s street to street, which is why we’ve developed a free zip code guide to help navigate the areas.

There are great people here which could guide me in the right direction and I appreciate any advice.

Your attorney and accountant can guide you through this process.7.

It's good you have a goal and using that goal to drive your decisions at each step will guide you. 

When looking for a PM, consider these criteria:1) the experience and credentials of the broker who supervises the company as well as the lead property manager2) the services they offer and how they line up with your needs and expectations3) the use of technology to make their job and yours easier 4) if they have a landlord-tenant attorney on retainer to help guide them on legal issues (not to mention the creation of lease agreement, landlord forms and notices, etc.)5) their process and policy for a) listing, b) application, c) tenant selection, d) routine inspections, e) maintenance services, f) property and tenancy update reports to you, g) lease enforcement policy, and f) move-out process.6) property owner reviews (caution: you can't always rely on Google reviews, because they may not reflect actual quality of the company, but still) 7) beneficial programs for both owner and tenant 8) a property management agreement that would indicate they know what they're doing and have the experience to know what matters in a PMA.

Based on the statutes, the legislative history, and the case law, the following 7 essential elements will help guide you when working with your lawyer and administrator. 1.Third Party Administrator (TPA) – I use Trust-CFO as my firms third party administrator for my CA clients with PRPs. 2.Qualified diagnosis by the TPA to determine if you even qualify3.Asset exemption analysis by the TPA to determine which of your assets are eligible for exemption4.Funding analysis based on income, age, and retirement needs5.Plan documentation and funding of plan – this is a critical step often overlooked or not done correctly.

To begin, figure out what you want, look at your money, learn about the market, think about living in one of your investments, talk to a real estate expert, money advisor, or a guide, and keep getting info about real estate through books, podcasts, web talks, and sites like BiggerPockets.Good luck!