I am helping my in-laws from California (Cathedral city, next to Palm Springs) and a few others from California build their rental empire out here.

@David Martin Jr Inland empire area maybe Hesperia or Victorville, CA

HI, I own one property in South Florida, have a decent income (120k a year) plus do a few real estate transactions on the side (have a license and MLS access down here) and invest in a few flip projects a year that return around 11-14%Looking to start my rental empire, I was looking into Kansas City and using a property management company like Usreeb or making the 90min drive to Orlando to purchase a property as the homes in South Florida are just way to highly priced for a good return.

Depending on the type of investing you have planned, or the type of motivation/education desired, I recommend the following: For help with overall motivations and mindset:"Beginners Guide to Real Estate Investing" (free eBook) by Brandon Turner Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel ClaysonRich Dad Poor Dad by Robert KiyosakiGetting Things Done: A Guide to Stress-free Productivity by Daivd Allen -- It's not a real estate book but it will help when it comes to getting and staying organized.The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich By Tim FerrisFor help with Property Management:Landlord-ing on Autopilot by Mike ButlerFor help with Raising Funds:Raising Private Capital: Building your Real Estate Empire Using Other People's Money by Matt Faircloth

Building an empire takes time some people sell their soul (credit/assests) to the devil to keep getting deals, even with bad cash flow. 

I am in Evansville Indiana where it one of the easiest places to start your empire.

I work with many investors from California to start building their rental empire here.

(Current research on the late Roman Empire, says that Rome fell, through a series of plagues, with the worst of them, being equatorial Africa Malaria, which is now being confirmed in the DNA found in buries skeletons, from those centuries, including the crisis century, of many plagues, which the Emperor, Diocletian was able to salvage enough, to end this crisis time, until latter Emperors found more difficulties.

And pay attention to this, due to women are the main sex, that makes getting rent paid on time, for amounts required, which holds together a Rental Empire.

I don't like the idea of having to pay the first on the rental property, a 2nd on the rental property, a mortgage on the personal home two car payments, credit cards and then have to worry about something going wrong e.g. sickness and my empire crashes like a stack of dominoes.