Seems like 130 units is a beast to manage, I'd love to hear about your on-site management systems and "experience management" process to stand out amongst the fierce competition in the smokies. 

There was more competition on the wash & fold side as there were definitely other companies operating in the area.Self-service was about half of our revenue and dry cleaning/wash & fold made up the other half.

And probably not a lot of competition.

Which do you think will be more competitive, buying from wholesalers or your own referrals?

A landlord who isn't trying to get the top dollar amount for their unit to begin with has competitive advantages when things go awry.

These can sometimes offer good value and less competition from large investors.Key Questions to Ask Yourself:to @Joe Villeneuve point...what research are you looking at.Cash Flow vs.

Turned a single family house that was poorly marketed but in a great area of my city, listed mid-winter where there's less competition, into a duplex for all intensive purposes and used airbnb to rent out rooms.

Exploring FHA loans makes sense for a low down payment, but keep in mind the competitive market may require some flexibility.

We just button down our lake house and hope to get a Thanksgiving (we did this year) and Christmas (nothing yet). 

I knew some of the top court house guys and they did volume 50 to 80 deals a year  average profit on those given the Uber competition and having to pay HML rates was 20 or less..