HI @James TobinAs you get into the RE market, regardless of where you choose use this website as a good starting point to find out what the areas are likehttps://www.areavibes.com/Best of luck from Fort Worth 

There would potentially be some weight issues with the 2nd+ floors of some shopping malls, depending on what the potential tenant wants to store in the upstairs unit. 

@Jim LynchSome typical minimum tenant screening requirements look like the following, but it depends on your market:-Renter has a gross monthly income of 3x more than the monthly rent-Minimum credit score of 650-Renter must have no prior evictions-No felons (or other notable criminal history)There are a number of different tenant screening softwares out there such as Zillow Rental Manager, TransUnion SmartMove, etc.Be sure to complete an employment verification by contacting the renter's employer and confirm the details they shared with you, landlord verification (if they have a previous landlord), credit check, and background check.

For context, downtown Alexandria performs super well as a rental market and bringing in $5.5k+ as the monthly rental income if you choose to move out of the househack in the future will be absolutely feasible (depending on the property of course).

Everyone's favorite answer in real estate---"it depends".That being said, you have to start somewhere to figure that out.

Remember, if a deal is truly off market, you have an owner who knows they are able to sell and is choosing not to take the very simple step of listing it.  

It depends on what municipality you are in here in the Tampa area.

@Hector Lewis - The decision ultimately depends on your current cash reserves relative to your financial needs, as well as your willingness to reinvest for potential appreciation.

I'm still new to real estate investing but I'm open to feedback  @Jade FrankIt really depends on your long-term goals.

A horse and buggy might get me where I want to go, but I'll choose other options.That being said, just because someone is using an algorithm doesn't mean it's the right one.