Like @Chris Seveney said, private lending is a great way to go as well.  

As the CFO of a regional developer, I’m all about creative solutions in real estate, and your focus on building housing in a tight market like West Boise really resonates.That first 17-unit project with your friends and dad as the lead investor?

This is a real estate forum, not an equities market forum.

There are plenty of older homes on the market that do not have closets.You need 2 egresses (including 1 that goes outside) such as a door or window, size about 70sqft (local codes may differ), ceilings at least 7ft high, and it cannot be a walk-through passage.As always, your local codes may be different.

I used a hard money loan to purchase this off market deal.I rehabbed the upper two units within two and a half weeks and have a renter already lined up for one unit.

No residual marketing and no marketing for each properties uniqueness.

Fortunately for me, I started investing a time in the market where everything went up.  

It's real estate in markets with population growth, it's pretty hard to lose money if you get an inspection and appraisal."....Wishful thinking at best when buying C/D properties.

I am not sure if I should stay local to my market.

No one has a "crystal ball" to time the market perfectly.