That’s a great move—starting early with analyzing deals will put you in a strong position when you're ready to buy.Since you're open to other markets in the Southeast, I’d definitely recommend taking a look at Chattanooga.

I will definitely try to bring in as much money as possible but I don't want to wait forever to pull the trigger.

You definitely bring up good points that I will need to investigate.  

We did have some work done on the house to ready it for rent and had the signed agreement in December so it was definitely in service.

@Paul Sandhu your list definitely helps to at least start calling some people, or ask some locals for some good reccos.   

If you have the budget for repairs if you rent it out, definitely rent it out!

But I'd suggest you definitely partner with an experienced investor.

The plumber insists that this is definitely a city issue, but I’d like to hear from others who have dealt with similar situations.Would the city reimburse or help cover part of the expenses for the secondary cleanout?

A lot of the success stories and content we’ve seen in the past came from a very different rate environment, so I’m definitely factoring that into my approach.For now, I’m planning to focus on the Jackson County/MO area, specifically around Lee’s Summit where I have some local support from family.

Then again I always pulled out any carpets from my rentals which definitely helps.