Personally, I would never live in PHX, but that is all personal biases (I prefer seasons and greenery), and clearly lots of people choose to live in PHX.At the end of the day, I would argue market selection almost only comes into play when you are talking assets that cater to institutional buyers that have to get investment committee sign off. 

It's really your choice if you want to select a home that has already been leased prior to closing or not. 

Prices remain relatively low, but appreciation may be slower.Monroe: A mix of cash flow and appreciation potential, Monroe has become a popular choice for investors, especially in areas where new developments are popping up.Appreciation-Focused NeighborhoodsBallantyne: A well-established area with high demand, Ballantyne offers excellent long-term appreciation potential, though cash flow opportunities may be limited.South End: A booming urban hub with a vibrant retail and restaurant scene.

Both options have pros and cons, and the right choice depends on your lifestyle, experience, and long-term goals.

Partition your investments from what you would do on your own home or what you prefer.

I'd really prefer to just adopt something that another PM has already used and found success with, or use it at least as a framework that we adapt from.Appreciate any feedback that you think might be helpful.

I've been reading books and listening to various BP podcasts nonstop for the past couple months, but I'd love to hear thoughts about the right strategy for turning our war chest into a sound real estate portfolio (preferably before I'm too old to enjoy the fruits of our labor!).

Trying to get into the nuts and bolts of how he was trying to source a location, project size of preference, what type of financial modeling he does, what kind of tenants he was hoping to attract/the strategy behind it, if he was doing any joint ventures or had done any in the past, if he had taken part in any syndications, what management strategies he was implementing with his current properties to maximize lease uptime and profit, what types of leases he generally favored contracting for his properties--all of that was like pulling teeth.

I doubt we will buy off the MLS but I am trying to find a good way to visualize MLS data so that I can plan our next purchase and get a "steal" that I will have instant equity or rehab for equity with the goal of getting a decent HELOC going.Because real estate values are so location based, it is hard for me to process the data on a spreadsheet, because I'm constantly trying to project it onto a map in mind.To know if what I'm looking at is a deal, I would like to be able to see $/sq.ft. data visualized on a map with either current listings or preferably sold properties. 

Tenants also prefer private landlords.