Find someone who's doing what it is you want to do in the market you want to do it in and bring them value to learn.

Which ones will still deliver in a down market? 

I live and invest in the Lafayette area myself - I own several in the area - broussard, freetown, broadmoor etc There's a decent market here, I think it's somewhat competitive but there is some availability as wellOff-market is the way to go 100%Purchasing a starter home is a great way to get started - I turned my first home into a rental before I even looked into real estate investing.

It sounds like your current property manager may not be marketing the rental effectively, and the fact that it's listed incorrectly as an apartment instead of a duplex could be turning off potential renters.

Quote from @Francisco Milan: These really do not do much these days for people finding most of the listing online; however, you need to be sure that you put one out because any lead is a lead to put in your database to market to. 

Quote from @John Paul Palace: Our plan was to invest locally, however our market here is tough.

I would not buy on a land contract (maybe a piece of land but not a residence) but have owned them in the past (we bought them on secondary market).Way too much risk as the borrower - see the post I made yesterday in the note investing section where a homeowner gave someone a land contract and still sold the house to someone else.

Here’s our OPINION for the Metro Detroit market (use as a template for your target area!)

To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

The market appreciates 3% per year.Pay cash for one house and rent it for $1,500.