My goal is to build a sustainable rental portfolio that provides great housing for tenants and solid financial returns.I’m looking for advice, insights, and connections from experienced investors or local professionals.

@Kevin Zmick also consider if you have an area specific advertising forum, a local facebook group,  or an area specific advertising platform you haven't tapped.  

Both PCB and Destin have local governments and communities that actually welcome vacation rentals.

Did you use a local bank that agreed to a Seller Carry in second position?

You’ll often see sales with 100-200% swings within the same area, which makes having deep local knowledge and understanding the nuances absolutely critical.I do this for a living, and even with experience, comping in Detroit can still be challenging.

I was at a local (Bay Area) REI conference a few weekends ago and Brian Burke (CEO) spoke.

Get out and rub elbows with local investors by joining a local real estate investor group.

Would love to talk to anyone who is local to get a better feel for the area and have some folks to get advice from. 

That I can make something of myself in this world, and give a better life to my children and If I am lucky to find great fortune, invest for the betterment of my local home town.What I can say to new investors who are looking to get started, be carful who you trust, and if you come from nothing like me understand nobody cares - and this lofty idea of chasing the American dream is an internalized emotion not many can relate to, especially in this field where some people some from old money, and have multi million dollars... they simply cannot relate to you.

And the fact that you're local, on-the-ground, gives you a massive advantage.