Hey Lauren, I'm not personally invested in Boise but I know a very prominent and successful agent there.

Keep in mind that this is a personal opinion from my own experience, and if the numbers work to you, go for it.

When networking on BP or in person, being clear about your goals will make a big difference.Are you mainly interested in finding rental properties, connecting with other landlords, or exploring specific asset types?

This is more common that you might think.They do not take into consideration the costs borne by the investor associated with the transaction such as: closing costs, carrying costs, finance costs, exit costs, etc.They are trying to hit a homerun on every deal and not leaving enough "meat on the bone" for the next person. 

Everyone's situation is going to be personal, so take any and all advice you get here with a grain of salt and weigh your options on what best hits your goals and lifestyle.

Quote from @Michael Whitman: Quote from @Jonathan Greene: Have you seen it in person?

Personally I am looking to grow in RE and buy a 2nd home in LA/SD and eventually buy a multifamily complex.

Personally I’d be cautious about trying to live off the cash flow from one or two rentals even if they are paid off.

I personally like working with a broker because I know they are helping to vet the insurer and making sure that I am not missing key pieces of coverage.That said, from my understanding of the insurance markets basically different insurers like to spread their risk out across geography and asset class.

I do have experience with significant home renovation but for a personal residence, based on my experience with this I would prefer to buy a property built after 1970 if possible but not sure if that's realistic, the only deals I could seem to find from the MLS are very old houses which I know often brings more challenges with the renovation.Would appreciate any references or suggestions anyone has, so far I've only invested in rental properties that were already in good condition bought with a loan.