My opinion is in both cases I would recommend them start in their home market or a market that they know like their home market and educate themselves on options. owner occupancy provides opportunities that are unavailable by long distance RE investing.In my high cost market, a new investor can use a NACA loan or 95% LTV conventional financing on up to a 4 unit owner occupied property.  

Education: Stay informed about changes in landlord-tenant laws and best practices for property management.Starting your investment journey in a landlord-friendly state can provide a smoother experience and better protect your interests as a landlord.

If I had been more educated about house hacking when I was in college or even right after, Cincinnati would have been a great place to do it for me.

The education and health services sector alone added 23,800 jobs in the past year, reflecting a significant expansion in these industries, particularly in healthcare and social assistance​.Proximity to Major Employment Centers: Greater Heights offers convenient access to key employment hubs such as downtown Houston and the Galleria area, which are major attractors for residents due to the short commute and abundant job opportunities​.Education: Nearby institutions like University of Houston and Rice University contribute to the area's appeal.Infrastructure Projects: Ongoing developments like the East Blocks Redevelopment and BioHub II at Generation Park enhance local amenities and attractiveness.Investment InsightsGreater Heights Rental Market Trends:Single-Family House Rentals:Median Rent: $1,350 for 1 bedroom, $2,695 for 2 bedrooms, $3,250 for 3 bedrooms, and $6,100 for 4+ bedrooms​​.Stability in rent prices with modest YoY increases: 2 bedroom rents increased by $195, and 3 bedroom rents by $250​​.Median Sold Price YoY ComparisonApartment Rentals:1 bedroom apartments saw a YoY increase of $305, 2 bedroom apartments by $667, indicating strong demand for these unit types​​.Available Rentals:High availability of both house and apartment rentals, indicating a robust market that can support new rental investments​​.Sales Market Trends:Median Sale Prices:Significant appreciation in home values, particularly in 1-bedroom homes, which saw a 190.7% increase from $215K to $625K​​.Other bedroom counts also showed positive appreciation, e.g., 2 bedrooms (5.3%), 3 bedrooms (6.5%), 4 bedrooms (17.4%)​​.Market Activity:Increased number of homes for sale and sold, suggesting a dynamic and active real estate market.

I’m willing to bet you went “heavy” on wholesale / flipping / marketing education and very light or not at all on real estate principles, real estate finance, and real estate law.  

It’s gaining more attention from market watchers and is considered more comprehensive data.

Because the program is about educating people on investment properties, does that mean one will have to spend time searching for properties on their own, using the methods/advice provided?

For both myself and my clients, I focus on fixer uppers near key educational institutions and also in cities that are STR friendly.

I am still doing the same work but set up the LT and LLC to provide improved asset protection but obviously want to structure my business so that I have both asset protection while maximizing tax benefits that i can.To be fair to my CPA he didn’t say this would be an issue, he is in the process of doing research to verify the impact of the organizational structure changes and I was looking to educate myself in parallel obviously hoping my research and my CPA’s landed in the same place.

Educate yourself on utility assesments also. all of the above can make a good deal bad fast.