the trend that you are seeing in your market I think is more nationwide and you are absolutely right about building relationships with agents and wholesalers to have a good dealflow. 

Credit Karma uses a Vantage scoring model (which we do not use in the mortgage industry), but the trend will be the same as mortgage scores. 

Summary: I’m currently working on a project to analyze rental market trends and help real estate investors, landlords, and property managers identify high-performing areas.

Explore Local Market Trends: Is Bend’s market likely to continue appreciating, or is it plateauing?

What about the latest trend of fake SSNs?

In the new state where you intend to invest, research real estate valuations, trends, and neighborhoods.

I, personally, would be stressed about all that cash out of pocket though and would sell for piece of mind.San Diego, CA 2021 Real Estate Market Appreciation & Housing Market Trends - NeighborhoodScout

A client of mine recently invested there and raves aboutt the ease of finding solid contractors who stick to the budget.One piece of advice: before jumping into any market, spend time understanding the local economy, demand drivers (like job growth and population trends), and the landloard laws.

According to the Justice Department, RealPage’s algorithm allows landlords to align rents with their competitors by analyzing sensitive data, from renewal rates to occupancy trends.

(I recently saw an article in Forbes talking about the Bay Area’s shifting market) And if you aim to hold properties long term, keep your eyes on towns around the Bay that have had consistent rent growth.Here in my home market of Phoenix, I see investors branching out to places like Austin, Chicago, and even Omaha from what Ive heard because they recognize how trends can shift quickly.