Usually turnkey operators suck the equity out of a deal and sell at or above market so there goes the equity. 

The financing will then dictate which markets are and aren't within your budget.

It feels like neither consumers nor landlords are truly benefiting from this situation.

Happy to send over some resources on why Columbus is a great real estate market to invest in. 

Look for motivated sellers off market and market via cold calling and or direct mail, geofencing, advertising and the like.A good wholesaler is as @Ericka Parrott mentioned, direct to seller, did good underwriting and can deliver an actual "Deal" whether buy and hold or flip. 

Here’s our OPINION for the Metro Detroit market (use as a template for your target area!)

Hello @Daniel Summer,The Memphis market has a solid MHA/Sec 8 rental.

I am local to the Memphis market here and like others have mentioned communication is key.

Or do I look into a market like Las Cruces, NM, or Lubbock, TX, as an example of bigger markets I have looked at and am somewhat familiar with?

At the time, we were new to the market and, admittedly, didn’t conduct thorough due diligence before buying.We purchased a property in the Atlanta area, renovated it, and listed it for sale.