My recommendation would be to engage an investment property focused realtor (not a general residential realtor) and let that person guide you through the process from pre-qualification to market/property valuation and selection. 

Probably not a good person to hire, maybe let your bosses know. 

I personally don't like exclusive by agreements.

Do you provide personalized guidance, or is the mentorship more of a one-size-fits-all approach?

The vast majority of contractors won't want to give bids on properties while under contract unless they have a relationship with that person from prior jobs.

I personally would never invest somewhere that could outlaw rentals.

Try to make your messages more personalized to avoid getting blocked again.You can email [email protected] with any  help you  need, too. 

Point noted about not being able to underwrite without seeing things in person.

I'm not personally sitting in that market, though i'm only a few hours away, but we do ground up development all over the country I'm sure we've got someone in that market that can assist you. 

I personally like Alabama and Tennessee a lot, depending on what specific area you're looking at.Look for Class B or C properties in stable rental markets, particularly single-family homes or duplexes.