I see mostly out of state or out of country investors working with New Western in Birmingham because they don't have the knowledge of the city and surrounding areas.

Looking for further knowledge and excited to be on the forum!

 @Zeona McIntyre how do you feel about the long-term profitability of MTRs?

I have been reading many books on finances, rentals, and real estate and feel this is an area I can have more "control" over my investment rather than placing it all in my 401k and hoping for the best. 

@Nick Rivers, where do you feel you are coming up short?  

I would say it could be done, just need to have the following:#1 - Have great overall knowledge of that market, and better than agents.#2 - Learn how to run comps so you know the value of the property better than anyone. #3 - Have finances in order (i.e) is this going to be bought through conventional, cash, HML, etc.

The market here offers a lot of potential.I highly recommend making a trip here to get a feel for the different neighborhoods and understand where the best opportunities lie.

Investors who are active in gathering data on local trends while working with knowledgeable agents are able to pick neighbourhoods poised for growth and also comprehend how to best mitigate their risks as they prepare to maximize their return.Myth 3: Distressed Properties Are in Bad LocationsAnother misconception is that distressed properties only exist in bad neighborhoods.

To me at my current knowledge level, this deal only works if taking over the loan - to limit the out of pocket money to acquire the property since the outside reno and new septic would take up the bulk of rehab costs. 

If you don't find the answer or even find new questions, there are tons of tons of knowledgeable people who are happy to help out.