As a first-time investor, I HIGHLY suggest going with a turnkey long-term rental, and once you begin to learn how to master that strategy, you can branch out into another.

We all offer them but it depends on if you need to have a walk in branch in your neighborhood or for traveling.  

You will learn a lot from the forums and podcasts available here but also don't be afraid to branch out and find local real estate meetups in your area.

@Marc Shin - Probably a national bank like bank of america where they have branches everywhere is easiest if you are trying to keep it simple. 

Having been a branch manager at a mortgage bank and then crossing over to Mortgage broker side, I can tell you a mortgage broker typically has significantly better rates than a mortgage bank.

Dozens of branch/market offices throughout US of which I am out of national HQ.

I own two homes in San Diego and one in Scottsdale - do I branch out or stick to what I know?

I use a smallish local bank (about 30 branches) and have a great relationship with the VP in charge of residential loans and the VP in charge of commercial loans.

I believe branch managers at the bank still get paid even with rates are low or zero, as management doesn't stop because of the cycle.I respect your opinion, and you may be correct on a few of your points.

Sticking to one strategy is always going to yield the best results then branching out from there may be best.