For a couple of reasons, I'm also considering looking outside this area:1 Prices are significantly higher in my area than other parts of the country and it would tie up a lot more capital to get started.  

It's can also be safer to diversify your investment properties across the country.

Nice " country" locations out there I haul loads out of the menards dc in plano.

Those are three different prices, for the same house, in the same city.Imagine the differences between Memphis and Toledo...in different States, at opposite ends of the country.  

When things went "pop" south of the 49th and we watched them slide off the tracks, there was an about face in Ottawa (a slow one, but it did finally happen) and regulators for residential real estate financing started to reverse course.It is still easier to borrow to buy real estate than it was in the 80s and the unprecedented run of low - almost no - interest rates has helped fuel the continued rise of several real estate markets in the country which should have gone "pop" themselves some years ago.

Therefore I am turning my attention toward eastern PA.

It helps to have access to many people with resources of information and my time spent as a finance and insurance broker around the country has done just that so I enjoy a good peppering of questions.

Looks all american white on pictures but sound like a middle eastern on the phone.

My recommendation would be to get into the local REIA AZREIA.org they are one of the best in the country and you can learn tons and meet seem great contacts.I have looked at some of the 'flips' in scottsdale and in my opinion many of them are Subpar so if you produce a superior product than I would imagine that as long as you can find the right deal you will not have any problems.  

A virtual ssisstant who usually works for you out of this country and will typically be cheaper and good at what you need and you typically communicate with you by the computer.