Just personally, I would never do an absentee landlord kinda thing....Too many moving parts, too much to go wrong and cuts into your profit big-time....Sentimental value is one thing, but not if you end up hating the house down the road.....Stay local, plenty of opportunities in good ole AZ.....

Despite rate cuts, we aren't seeing the lending market agree with their expectations on inflation.

Do a nice job.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

If you need a new job once you move, you will need an offer letter prior to closing on your new home (and you will need 6 months reserves in order to be able to use the offer letter as income). 

You may want to contact Elite directly and cut out the middleman.

Build up job skills, build up savings, and increase your W2 income.

Researching local job markets, schools, and even infrastructure projects can provide insight into potential appreciation and cash flow.You might want to explore markets in the Midwest or South, which often have lower entry points and better cash flow potential compared to California.

All of that is pretty cut and dry. 

Their is strong population and job growth in a number of Central FL markets.