Educate yourself on a certain area (I invest primarily in Ohio and the Southeast) and then get started!

But what we are seeing in the southeast is that prices have risen to the point where buying single-family rentals for cash flow doesn't often pencil out unless you have gotten a significant off-market deal.  

i have no idea, i don't know anything about you and couldn't possibly advise you on this.should you move to the southeast?  

We strategically focus our multifamily investments in the Southeast region of the US for two key reasons:Lower Costs - Properties are less expensive to acquire in the Southeast than in other parts of the country.

However I would prefer to stick to south and south east states for a warmer climate in the winter months.  

There are some areas in the Midwest and Southeast that fit this criteria.

Looking to purchase an STR possibly in Myrtle Beach SC or Pensacola FL and/or Destin area. Any suggestions or personal experiences/insight would be appreciated. Price range $250k +/- ideally a house with a pool. ...

It is an exciting strategy to capture both cash flow and appreciation that the Southeast has generally been experiencing. 

I would recommend tapping into the investor network (happy to point you to a few groups, including one meetup I run in downtown Matthews called Southeast Charlotte Real Estate investors.)

For our first-time OOS experience, we established a Nevada-based LLC Then we started investing in the MidWest, SouthWest & SouthEast.