Make sure we're accounting for the appreciation, cost of the sale, cost of the purchase and one of my favorite factors, the risk.

Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.

If you're not sure, do a road trip across the state, visit some of these areas and see what 'vibe' fits with you more.

I use all of them:-Brokers-Platforms like LoopNet, Crexi (my favorite), and BiggerPockets Deal Finder-additionally, brokers often have access to off-market opportunitiesWhen dealing with brokers, I've found that you have to build a relationship in order to get a good deal flow.

Hi Pearse,I would love to talk further about this offline, but house hacking and doing a live in flip is my favorite combo.

Curiosity got me.. does anyone else have a favorite strategy for keeping deposits crystal-clear?

Third, put the money into an account temporarily for a few months, settle in, buy yourself a gallon of your favorite Ice Cream, pop on the boob tube and watch a couple of good movies.

Like you said, every time you visit family, you can check in on the properties and now the trip is a tax write off (consult your CPA). 

Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.

Also, it goes without saying that if you make a procedural error (very likely as the process is designed to trip up the unsophisticated landlord, and all tenants have the right to a pro bono attorney), then you have to start the process again from scratch.