It is hard to really keep up with those kinds of trends unless I budget 10k a year in updating the property which I am not going to do.I participate in our local council/mayor meetings.

We have an upcoming meeting with them to see how we can extend the loan a few more years to make the total monthly payment including installments for the annual property tax bill, which we’ve had to pay for them this year since they were late the last couple years and had to pay interest to the county. 

We go to straight to sellers with our marketing the prices our better and the ones that meet our criteria we keep for cash flow and the ones that don’t we wholesale.

If you pay more, you won't meet your metrics and will probably have negative cashflow and/or equity.You may have to make 10, 20 or even 100 offers to get one accepted at the price that meets your numbers.This is what all investors did BEFORE the Great Real Estate Crash of 2008-2010.

So, only invest in cities that meet the following requirements:Low crime: Companies are unlikely to choose high-crime cities.

There are many here in my local area and your area is likely to have the same type of meetings.Most of the deals that I fund are by meeting investors in person at these groups and creating strong relationships. 

PM me so we can meet and talk

I'd look into some local facebook pages for investors as well, you will find more local investors that have meet-ups, dinners, etc. 

A tax professional can help determine if you meet the criteria for deducting expenses in 2024. 

I can provide support of checking in on contractors, staging rental properties, walk potential leads to give you an idea of the property in person or what the area is like, meeting with agents, and drafting scope of work for projects.