Glad you have experience investing locally. 

Mine was also out of state, in a town I’d never visited, and I relied heavily on videos from my agent.This sounds like a tough first deal, but it seems like you have some capital on the side, which will be useful as you face the upcoming challenges and learn from those expensive early mistakes.Regarding the subject of this post, “help me adjust my expectations,” I’d recommend assuming that; repairs will cost twice as much as you estimate, maintenance and vacancy rates will likely double from your initial projections, there’s a very real chance you may lose money on this deal.That said, there are ways to mitigate these risks by:- Keep asking questions here on BP and connecting with local experts- Stay proactive and communicative with your agent and property manager.And remember “Inspect what you expect.”Im not trying to discourage you but to help reset your expectations.

Second, I'd connect with some local hosts in your area also in addition to Airdna.

It wasn’t ideal, but it was the only way to keep the deal alive.I made the drive to her small town, met her at a local bank, and had the paperwork notarized.

For your out-of-state BRRRR plan, building a strong local team in St.

Nonetheless, it was made possible by a local credit union.

Hey all!
Wife and I are coming down from Toronto, Canada and we are looking to network with current investors, PM, RE Agents, etc...
I tried finding meet ups in the forum section "Events & Meetups Section" but h...

There are a couple of car washes in my local area that are for sale that I am interested in but do not know where to start. 

i like your idea to stay local. 

Depending on the salaries of the new jobs they may also price out the local residents on new home sales which would further drive up the price.