Why ask: If you’re not going to be a full-time investor or professional, it’s important to ensure that the mentor works with people who have similar schedules and limitations.11.

Here are a few to watch out for:Property Condition: Most distressed properties need extensive repairs or renovations, which add to your initial investment.Competitive Market: With Phoenix's popularity among investors, competition for the best deals can be intense.Complex Deals: Foreclosures, auctions, or short sales are much more complicated compared to regular real estate transactions and usually require specialized knowledge.Tips to Successfully Navigate the MarketDo Your Research: Understand the local market conditions, including neighborhood trends, property values, and potential rental income.Build a Strong Network: Work with professionals who specialize in distressed properties-such as brokers, contractors, and legal experts-to make the best decisions.Assess Costs Carefully: Factor in the cost of repairs, holding costs, and any potential financing issues when evaluating a property’s profitability.Be Patient: Finding the right distressed property takes time.

Surround yourself with knowledgeable professionals who can support your real estate endeavors.

If you have a perfect closing and first 3 months your dreaming Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

We also got them to have it professionally cleaned, ducts cleaned, they threw in some furniture for free, paid a lot of the closing costs that buyer usually pays, paid most recent mill levy instead of prior years taxes, paid my 2.8% commission, etc. because it is a buyers market and that's what you can negotiate in a buyer's market. 

@Victor Yang To use the rental losses to offset any active income (W2), you'd have meet Real Estate Professional status (which would be difficult to do with a W2 job because you'd have to work more on real estate than any other job to qualify) OR have an AGI of $150K or less.

A non-franchised Broker with six agents won't have professional training and resources, so a new agent won't be trained as well and will struggle to get started. 

Proximity to mass transit (mentioned by another poster re following them), proximity to downtown (maybe not so much now with work-from-home being a thing), proximity to airports, highways, pollution-belching industrial plants, hospitals, universities, the lake, etc., all help to define which South side neighborhoods have what it takes to overcome market inefficiencies and become "up and coming."

If you're certain the type of renter you're going to get are traveling medical professionals, you know they're on short term contracts (typically 13 weeks).

Readers are advised to seek professional advice.