EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

We are in a small market so we were very surprised to consistently fill 4 and now we are looking to do 4 more. 

Surprise!

I also suggest a drive-by so they are not unpleasantly surprised by the neighborhood when they to the showing, and just keep on driving by anonymously as I wait outside.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

You might be very surprised to find out what you see.  

You have found a market out-of-state and have talked to an investor-friendly Realtor you met on Facebook that seems to check a lot of boxes for you and your goals.You worry about making a good choice and how to complete your due diligence on this agent and opportunity.All of my out-of-state buyers buy without ever having seen the property in person but I know they will at some point and want them to have a good experience so I frequently do FaceTime walkthroughs with them before buying and use a very comprehensive property inspector to avoid surprises.

I am expecting items to be found even though there is no visible signs of any issues.I will not be surprised if in the near term the prices fall a little.  

Obviously, it wouldn't be a surprise visit if you scheduled it.

My savings was completely drained from interest payments and surprise costs I had to manage, and lots of little costs that at the outset I believed this guy would cover (100 to mow grass, every two weeks).