I think it is beneficial to visit the area you are going to invest in, meet the team you will be working with, and explore the neighborhoods by driving around.

Hey everyone,Exploring financing options for a duplex in New Haven, CT.

From helping a widowed mother get a fresh start for her and her kids, to the MILLIONS of dollars in assistance we acquired for residents to stay current during covid...

@Mitchell Kosek, if you can afford to buy in your market, without question, you should explore house hacking before investing out of state. 

Plus, commiting his funds for ten years felt like a significant leap, especially since he was eyeing some promising real estate opportunities.We ended up exploring investment properties in Phoenix.

Given your situation, you should consider and explore house hacking options heavily.

Not everyone can just pack up and leave to a different state: people have jobs, families, etc. and many want to stay in the same school district for their kids.

@Michael CliffordRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

So we have had people tell us “don’t ever contact me again” ans then 24 hours later we text their wife or kids the same message from the same number.

Parma and Fairview Park would be good for a dude who's wanting to send his kids to a halfway decent school.