I am leaning on local first for my next investment, but not ruling out an out-of-market opportunity. 

Depending on where the property is situated and the "local market conditions" I have them rented out as either long term, mid-term or short term.

You need to work with someone whose proactive and will send you on-market, off-market, and pocket listings!

It's also helpful to consult a local real estate agent to understand market trends, including demand, vacancy rates, and rental growth patterns.

I looked at Sapphire pretty hard last year, and made a couple of offers there, but in the end decided it wasn't the market for me.

It is is going to calculate the expected price based off what you tell it as well as what Price Labs sees in the local market.I questioned myself moving to price labs after I had been doing this manually for several years.

Are you all local to the area or are you still in Ohio? 

I am a very active realtor in both the Kansas and Missouri side of the CASEY metro, and I frequently work with local and out-of-state investors, helping folks find small multi as well as STR compatible homes.

@Tara JosbergerCharleston is a strong market for real estate, but local regulations play a big role in investment strategy.

But if costs are high or demand is uncertain, holding onto the land while monitoring the market might be the better play.