Do you recommend any contractors to work with in this region? 

I know it’s not the typical local Bank stile but regions was running a special .99% for about a year check them out!

You may already have most of that for the Sacramento region since you're from here, but you're starting from scratch in a market out of state.

The regional ones are usually more customer oriented.

As investors branch out into different regions, it can be difficult to figure out what's needed in a new locality.What strategies has this community found?

Not really, I think one should have the freedom to pursue what you want without such constraints, but to ignore reality is a bad strategy in general and much worse than 'rent control' could come down the pipe. i was reminded of this recently when looking @ a property in Berkeley, CA and being told that in that great city you are less the "owner" of your building and more the "caretaker" while the city gets to decide precisely what you're allowed to do with it (by the way - capped rent increase in Berkeley is 2/3 of regional CPI, and if you don't follow a HUGE checklist you can't raise rents at all!).  

They usually require you have a lease in hand with forward commitment from a strong regional or national tenant.

In some states/regions, sale of a property (esp at a higher price) will trigger a reassessment of property taxes by the county/municipality.- Underestimating utility bills.- THE BIGGEST ONE: underestimating or completely excluding vacancy and maintenance reserves.

I've originally been looking at primarily markets in the Midwest where i am locally, however i am now looking into central south, south eastern regions just because of more buying power and market growth.Not to say there are not strong markets in the Midwest.

I'm based on the DFW region and would love to chat with someone!