Educate yourself on how to handle marketing, screening, late rent, lease violations, etc.

You could put most of your funds in the stock market and access them when needed for a HML.

So they used the actual rented data of these companies to compare what rentals should go for in your market.

The market is ALWAYS changing but I know at this time, seasoned investors are getting 80% LTV on DSCR in the 6% range and 90% of PP/100% of renovation if total loan does not exceed 75% of ARV for FixNFlip loans. =)  

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

Are you investing in your local market?

These cities are the well known, sub 100k markets in the US.

I can say that with Phoenix, a multitude of opportunities can be in store for you if you invest in their market, network, or even just want to get familiar with it.What type of real estate are you into: fix & flips, buy & hold, multi-family, or something else?

However, financial freedom isn’t a one-time event; it’s about sustaining your desired lifestyle for the rest of your life.Once you clarify your goals, the next decision is where to invest.Investment Market/CityThe most important investment decision you will make is where to invest.

Myers Market Update Feb 2024 (biggerpockets.com)