I’m mainly focused on the ATL/GA region but am open to exploring other cities too.A little about why I'm here: I’m an engineer by day and a real estate enthusiast by night.

L.A. is heroin city.

How was the permitting process with the city?

Was your QOZB designed for a specific state/city, or was it structured to operate more nationally?

Anything under 4 is             typically considered a seller's market, while 4 to 6 months of supply is typically considered a balanced market.There are over 100 major cities on this list - I wanted to see how Raleigh and Durham stacked up (and North Carolina overall).

You'd also need to establish a budget, and secure a master insurance policy. i THINK you need to do these things before reaching out to your municipality to have it converted officially with the county or city but they would be the first ask for steps in order.i will add, this would make financing on these units a bit challenging, as in the mortgage world, at least initially, they would be considered "non-warrantable" condos.

What are the best cities to invest in midterm rentals which will cash flow and appreciating year over year?

New Jersey is not a horrible state for investing it is more so certain towns and cities that give NJ a very bad name. 

They are really changing the shape of the city and it may become incredibly expensive to buy out there soon due to lack of housing.

I haven't heard of any, but met with a few people in the twin cities last year.