Start networking with local agents and investors for insights, and talk to a lender to get pre-approved to understand your budget.

You have some good comments above but I would also suggest to try some local real estate meetup groups.

Otherwise, selling and using the proceeds to scale your portfolio locally could accelerate your long-term goals.

Im local to SLC would love to connect

.🎯 Your 6-Month Timeline:Month 1: Foundation (5-7 hours/week)Morning routine: 1 hour daily market researchEvening routine: Deal analysis practiceWeekend: BP forums & networkingKey Goal: Analyze 10 deals on paperMonth 2: Education (8-10 hours/week)Complete 1 RE courseJoin 2 local REI groupsSchedule lunch breaks with agentsKey Goal: Build your initial power team listMonth 3: Systems (10-12 hours/week)Set up deal tracking systemCreate document templatesEstablish banking relationshipsKey Goal: Ready to make offersMonth 4: Lead Generation (12-15 hours/week)Drive neighborhoods after workWeekend open housesSetup automated MLS alertsKey Goal: Generate first 5 qualified leadsNow, the Owners and Brokers you deal with may not enjoy this, but you can certainly "practice" making offers.  

Finding an engineer that's highly regarded locally can help slipstream your efforts.

Local agent here near Bella Vista and investor myself. 

I’m currently doing research about up and coming areas such as this post as well as looking for local groups.

When you put in the settings for state and local tax it should be clear what is collected and what needs to be remitted to each authority.

About me, most of my assets are RE but in another market so I would be diversifying in that market.Potential for appreciation is very uncertain: prices have risen a lot locally lately and are as high as they have ever been, and it’s unlikely higher prices would be affordable by locals.