In the areas discussed above, you have to take rentometer with a big grain of salt but in a neighborhood like the old west end of Richmond in the JR Tucker High School district there are an overwhelming amount of very similar 3bed/1bath brick ranchers so you can be a little more confident in the comps rentometer gives you.Market knowledge and familiarity is key (and cannot be gotten simply by surfing the internet, no matter how well the data is represented) which is why you should consider working with an investor-friendly Realtor (shameless self-promotion aside...). ;)

Help is wanted.Does anyone have a good internet link or starting point?

That doesn't matter if you are comfortable just doing business by internet and phone rather than walking into a branch.

@Robert Alberty- we are a bit spread out, but also with a concentration in the mid-cities. 

I don't know if these courses work or not (many people say that don't deliver what they promise), but to me... you can learn everything you need to know on Bigger Pockets (BP), the internet, YouTube, from your local Real Estate Investor Association, etc....

At least your there in the states, but long distance is long distance whether that be 2 hours away or across the Atlantic Ocean most is done with internet, email, and phone calls. 

@Chris Clothier   in my day of doing these it was not about the publics perception of the provider IE they are weak or strong.It was how they were sold the deal by the West coast marketers.. and in those days as you know the value proposition and the sales pitch was   CASH BACK AT CLOSING.not only did people get into these deals with only 1k out of pocket in the beginning ( because we allowed it and made the loan to put them into title) but they would get 4 to 8k cashout refi proceeds. this is what drove the model... frankly had nothing to do with the vendor or turn key company.. it was all about West coast marketing pitch.Remember these folks came to turn key from Weekend radio shows I LA.. way before BP or internet marketing.

@Annie Thompson  Lastly ladies the industry has cleaned it self up.. not just because of TKR but the internet in general...

The other site is a blip on the internet map, and Bluehost does just fine for that one.

Finding new tenants every year, dealing with room mate issues, damages, having to include all utilities and even TV and internet (many student landlords do this) all raise costs.