First, pick an area close to colleges, corporate headquarters, or other well-known landmarks that offers superior facilities, education, and overall quality of life.

Pick a house and call your agent for an estimate. 

Listening to their podcast twice a week (Not your Average Inverter Show - JWB).Made contact and "picked" a property.

We'd be incredibly grateful for the chance to pick your brain and learn from your experience.Here's how we can provide value:We're dedicated and eager to learn.We're happy to assist with research, analysis, or any tasks that might benefit you.We bring a fresh perspective and a willingness to hustle!

Is it best to pick the location based on ROI, or is there other important factors that a newbie may overlook?

If you succeed you will likely pick up more units and it will become consuming. 

Let me ask this question - if one of your employees during work hours walks into a store and decides to rob it or someone picks a fight with them and kills them, will you legally defend them? 

One was picking my brain on how I got such a good deal (the purchase price was on the deed). 

@Shola Sulaimon Welcome and congrats on getting started.You've picked some pretty major markets and I'm willing to be that cash flow is going to be pretty tough to get unless you go outside of them a distance.

Will you be self-managing, do you have software picked out?