Now, that's a broad brush stroke, but if you're just starting out, I'd look for properties in those counties as a starting point for the best possible selection of cash-flowing properties.

Different strokes for different folks.My goal to give up my regular job? 

That's getting harder to do, as the price of used cars have really become obscene - thus, I'm up to 151k on my 2004 Titan, which is starting to develop the rash of 150k mile issues, but replacing it will be expensive enough that it offends my sense of frugality, despite the fact that I can afford to just stroke a check. 

Different strokes.

It's all relative, I suppose and as they say: different strokes for different folks.

It's like saying stroke and heart related diseases causes 10x death annually than car accidents.

Everyone else is just stroking themselves and everyone else, as George Carlin would have said. 

Focus on education and not so much stroking egos of "Successful" investors.

But that's why I made this post to get a feel for different strokes for different folks you know. . . . . thanks for that.

We have a daughter in her 3rd year at the University of Arkansas and my wife (a computer programmer) is supporting her too without getting into long term debt.I am still medically recovering thanks to my brain anuerism and stroke at age 54.