I could have a need for some VA work if you're interested in defining some sales cycles and practicing some cold calling.

I'd suggest you define your qualification criteria and publish it in your ad and follow HUD screening best practices from there. 

The "development" aspects sounds quite simple, which means this is mostly a "build" type project.Line items that will require extreme lead times (this is in Idaho, your area may be different):1.

I think its just the mental aspect. 

So, let's define what IS a "good" market to start in? 

I do not know the answer but I would suggest you not rely on the anonymity aspect of anything today.

I'll define Allentown as the Lehigh / Northampton county areas.

The appealing aspect here is the ongoing population growth and other economic factors.

The fundamental aspect why stock market index can outperform real estate is because(1) with stock market index you invest along with other people in planet, as long as there're more buyer than seller price would just go up(2) is using statistical average, eventually stock market index would perform better than aggregated real estate, that's why a cap rate 3 private REIT can't mathmatically speaking outperform stock index.But then how about all these "Real Estate Active investors" ?

Consider Consulting a Professional: If you’re unsure about any aspect of property taxation or need assistance with assessment appeals or tax planning, consider seeking advice from a qualified real estate attorney, tax advisor, or property tax consultant.