Statistically speaking, you’re much more likely to find a tenant in a short timeframe than you are to have 2 individuals find, agree on, and purchase a “forever” home in a short timeframe :)

Random statistics about the budget, silver to gold ratio, what Warren Buffet said in an interview, this "Noise in the Market" makes you nervous??

You are more likely to get hit with a special assessment in a COA than you are an HOA (not sure that is statistical, just personal opinion).

I know no one in my family who owns rentals, and none of my friends do either besides those I see at real estate meetups.If you could find some actual statistical evidence to back it up, then maybe, but what your family is doing doesn’t meet that criteria.You could own a hundred properties but that also doesn’t mean history is repeating itself.

I'd recommend you know your market size and statistics before you buy for this targeted market.I have no clue about NC O-zone investing in HP, although there appears to be (pun intended) an opportunity (map via NC DOC) in the immediate areas. 

This ^ seems like the sensible approach to me but I lack the data to know if massive volume (thousands of addresses) is mandatory to statistically close deals through direct mail.

I like to pull crime statistics, sex-offender locations, school district rankings for the subject property.  

@Joshua Zastrow, I'm working on a new spreadsheet that analyzes more recent data -- specifically, monthly employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau's monthly report on issued building permits.

. - How would you find MSA (metropolitan statistical area) on markets that I am interested in?

Population data is pretty far behind as well since it takes time to perform/analyze the census so the boat could have already set sail before the population statistics catch up depending on the area.