I did go look at it, knew it was accessible by dirt road, and did a lot of research into who owned the easement.Won the auction, paid a tax title company to get clear title (right of redemption is 3 years). 

Don't kill yourself with research and worries.

My piece of advice would be to research emerging neighborhoods and focus on areas with strong job growth and infrastructure development. 

Research market rents, carefully calculate expenses, and ensure you have a solid lease agreement.

The simplest way is to base it on the market temperature of whatever city you’re researching.

I’m at the very beginning of my REI journey and I would love some guidance on how I can best optimize my planning, research and saving phase (which I’m dedicating 2025 to).

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

So, when investing in areas they don’t really know, investors should research the different property Class submarkets.

I won't overwhelm you with all of the different terminologies but begin researching these concepts.All the best!

Also, make sure you thoroughly research rental demand and average rents in the specific area of Miami you’re considering.