So for sanity I am hoping to stay within a 30 min drive.  

I thought this was a joke at first but am told they require some form to be signed attesting to the owner/landlord living within 15 minutes driving distance of the property in order to rent it out. 

Is the war zone creeping towards the property or are the good guys driving it back and the area is gradually getting safer?

That in turn drives up other units.6.  

I learned mine by driving around, looking up a bunch of properties online and looking at a bunch in person, listening to everything people said at the meetups and asking a ton of questions to local investors.If you have the money, her course is a bit of a shortcut to learn what you need to know, but it by no means is everything you need to flip in a local market.

For a residential (1-4 unit) deal, a "buy and hold" duplex for me (without driving value via renovations/BRRRR'ing) would be CoC between 8-12% and/or about $250 per door.

Pete in an older/rougher neighborhood, but very close to downtown(less than 5min drive) or a little bit nicer of a neighborhood, but further away(15-20min drive)?

I know it seems counter intuitive.. 

The market will drive commissions.

If buying now aligns with your long-term financial goals and property needs, it might be worth moving forward rather than waiting.Impact on Property Prices: Lower interest rates can boost demand for properties, which might drive up prices.