Not sure if this is helpful, but I am local to Columbia, SC and have interviewed a few local companies which all seemed horrendous.

I’d suggest checking out real estate networking events (local or online) like REIAs or BiggerPockets.

Reward in RE prices for risk of course.As for horizontal I get mine from local community banks ..

I have a close associate with a large project there and the local banks have turned off the spick-et on funding his developments and these are very large multi thousand acre deals.

@Kieran Collings - I'm an investor, flipper, and own and run a local property management company.  

Research comps in the Milwaukee area or connect with a local appraiser to estimate your property’s potential value.Depending on the rental income, you might explore DSCR loans for your refinance, as they rely on property performance more than personal income.

If you're investing in real estate out of your home state don't you have, at minimum, a Realtor, Contractor, Property Manager, Lawyer, etc. in the state where you're looking to create a local presence?

If you're targeting a specific market, I suggest connecting with local investors through meetups. 

I can get you in touch with a great finance/insurance broker local to Houston if you want to PM me! 

One thing I think I would do is either hire a professional market research company and/or get a local high school or college marketing class to do market research and surveys to see if there is interest and demand.