If you won't be renting to someone you know, it can be difficult to get this as you're transitioning into a new property (hard to sign a rental agreement, if you don't know when the property will really be ready).

This area is pretty hot right now in my opinion given it is transitioning, but all of it is rent-controlled for older buildings.

Hello Bigger Pockets Community,
I'm an investor with experience in commercial and industrial spaces, now moving into residential land development in Georgia and the Carolinas, focusing on large tracts up to 100 acres...

It's essential to familiarize yourself with the local landlord-tenant laws and work with a reputable property management company to ensure smooth operations.Short-Term Rental Laws: Philadelphia has regulations on short-term rentals, but it is still possible to operate Airbnb and similar platforms within the legal framework.

My goal is to transition to a full time investor.

I would under-react about the house cleaning as they will be quick to retort that they are in the process of moving - just state that it would be helpful to have the apartment "show well" so you can get this part of the process over with and both you and they can return to preparing for the transition.

It's a really exciting transition for us.

My loan was processed smoothly and quickly.  

I am considering whether to keep investing in similar rural areas with populations below 15,000 or to transition to purchasing properties in larger cities.

My target market is Detroit and I have 12-doors there personally.If you have aggressive goals and want to transition out of your W2 in 5-10 years you will NOT get there following a turnkey investing approach unless you just have gobs of capital.