This was my first property, and while it's been a great learning experience, I made several mistakes along the way—ranging from choosing a realtor who was more focused on closing the deal than finding the right house to having a poor inspection and overlooking issues hidden beneath the surface (literally).

If you're dead set on BRRRR, focus on areas like Linden, Hilltop, and parts of the South Side - but make sure you really understand the micro-markets there.

The networking and local market insights are invaluable.For retirement planning, focus on building steady cash flow and consider setting aside a healthy maintenance fund (I usually recommend 6 months of expenses) to protect against any surprises.If you're looking to expand your portfolio, Columbus is a great market where we still see positive cash flowing deals with lots of appreciation potential.

Quote from @Daniel Johnson: For anyone investing - can you recommend a investor-focused realtor in Nova Scotia? 

Successful investors often focus on properties with potential for flipping or long-term appreciation.

I would focus on new-build multis because you will be at max rent for LTR and scalable for STR.

Many details you left off though such as are you appreciation or cash-flow focused? 

My wife has focused entirely on residential real estate but now that I am a BDM for a PM company she is also expanding into helping investors. 

I have not been a fan of the larger property management companies who heavily market without a focus on the local markets they handle.

For example, Pinal County has the highest projected population growth over the next 30 years, but I’m not sure if that necessarily makes it a better market than Phoenix for long-term investments.When evaluating a location, what are the most important things you focus on?