A bonus is if that company also manages and will stand behind that property after the sale to an investor like you.if you have the time, desire, risk tolerance, and knowledge, you can absolutely find and or create deals on your own.  

Just curious on the local metrics of posters on here. 

I am just beginning my journey as a wholesaler with zero money and zero knowledge.

Once you know the "basics', you can then invest OOS more successfully.If you can't afford to invest in your home area, how will you grow your knowledge of an OOS if you take a shotgun approach to where you buy?

I think Mike Grudzien made a good suggestion about connecting with people locally. 

We use rentometer.com and knowledge of the market to establish what we feel we could get for rents. - Next we run the numbers on cost. 

To my knowledge, guests also have trip insurance. 

Unfortunately, 99% of BiggerPockets posters who are not local to Philadelphia and choose to invest in Philadelphia invest in the lowest tier neighborhoods, just as they do in most other distant markets where they invest because they are lured in by the inexpensive cost of housing. 

Aim for 720+ for best rates, I suggest start building relationships with your local lenders.

Well, come tax time, I had to unravel 3 LLCs with quite a bit of expense and am paying double tax because of their lack of care and knowledge.