Now we live in a van and traveling across the US :)Even though I've never lived in Richmond, I did some research and have come to the conclusion that Richmond, VA might be the right market for me:- Population is growing- VCU provides renters (students or faculty)- Somewhat affordable (for me).

The top employer is the University of Arizona which fits with my rental strategy to possibly rent to faculty, graduate students, or professional students.

Hearing their excuse is a waste of your mental faculties. 

We also have a relationship with a plant here in Rocky Mount where we buy them directly from the faculty.  

I’ve has success in the past, when I owned 4 of these type “tween” rentals making contact with local college for visiting faculty who were there for only 4 months.  

Salaries are crazy high too - take a scroll through the grey book sometime and look at the high-five through mid-six figure salaries (if they're faculty that's a 9 month salary - they get more for summers, research, publications, fellowships, and more).

One couple seemed really nice and were coming to work on the faculty at the University and wanted to lease it for possibly 5 years - and were overly gracious with offering me whatever I might need to approve them.

Right now I am an adjunct faculty instructor (I recently left a fully paid PhD program with my MA after my adviser left).

Utah State provides some good student and faculty rental opportunities.

The suggestion was given to me by my faculty graduate advisor at school (who coincidentally enough, has also been investing in real estate for a few decades) to try to get into a home with a lease option for 3, 5 or 10 years with the hopes of improving my credit over time and being able to have a wholesaling business that can pay off the loans in cash in that time-frame.