totally hear you, pre 2021 in knoxville was a totally different ball game. again depending on your goals and strategies, your expectations aren't unrealistic. some deals may require more of an investment to make the numbers work like one of my student rentals that was a full gut project and took nearly a year to complete yet it spits out 15% cash on cash returns annually and i purchased that late 2022. investing in general is a risky endeavor, it's all relative to ones own risk tolerance depending on their position. we try and make calculated risks and look to evaluate multiple exits before pulling the trigger, yet there is still some risk involved. maybe a reit or syndication is the way to go if you want to be in real estate yet don't want to take on the properties yourself. either way i'm happy to make some local connections. 

Nope says the driver with a lock and chain in is hand.

I'm also looking at properties in Alabama and Indiana, but haven't pulled the trigger yet due to personal complications. 

First-time poster long-time reader here.In short: My husband and I finally pulled the trigger on our first Flip investment here in the Tampa area.

I typically recommend 3 years to keep pricing more favorable but also not lock yourself in longer than necessary.

To add a 4th point if you will, more like point "3a" (it's kinda closely tied to your 3rd point), if the Buyer ever wanted to sell, the Buyer would be "locked in" to that deal for at least a decade or until the house was "above water".  

Also you risk triggering the due on sale clause when you move a mortgaged property into an LLC.

This can trigger unfavorable tax rates when the property is sold, plus there are potential loss limitations, transfer issues, distribution problems, etc.  

I have several properties that were locked in at 4% interest.

But after I get the first couple properties locked in I’m definitely open to out of state.