The old school guys who work on historical properties are a good place to start.

This will help out tremendously when I start shopping for an agent.

Now, my journey starts.

Paul has started at least 3 separate threads in the past few days announcing to the world the success he's having with section 8 rentals and repeatedly reminds us he doesn't have a clue how to calculate the true operational costs associated with these properties. 

If you have a lot of family in OK, that can be a great place to start assessing since you have dedicated boots on the ground, as well as a reason to visit.Don't overthink the analyzing of markets when you are still figuring things out.

Quote from @Spencer Ware: Looking to start expanding portfolio.  

Is it worth talking to someone to start the tax planning convos if this is my current situation?

Ideally, I would like to use the buy and hold strategy, with a 50k budget to get started.  

House hacking is a fantastic way to start, but preparation is key.

There was positive population growth, medium home price growth, low unemployment, good rent to home ratios, and low crime, all of which are factors when I start looking into an area to invest in.