Also, being willing to take on distressed properties and muscle out the rehab will help you filter out some of the competition from the hedge-fund investors who are willing to pay top dollar (typically above asking price) for rent-ready properties in these markets.Rents are growing at 8% or more YOY in these markets. 

I'm not moving on these deals, just working out my deal analysis muscle in markets that I am considering, and taking counterpoints to investing in those markets (or out of state investing in general).Thank again!

Even if they balk, it exercises your creative muscles. 

Start small if you are afraid of failure, don't put in more than you can afford and you will build your investing muscle one property at a time

From your original post and replies above, it sounds like you’re on the right track though: let your attorney flex some muscle with the seller/flipper/contractor, and continue to raise hell with the building department, city complaint line, or even local politicians and news outlets.

and keep building your risk muscles...

If you need some legal muscle, let me know.Jen

Do the HML have lawyers or do they just use "muscle"?

Capital allocation discussions are akin to the finer points of sets and reps for one muscle group.  

Very rarely did we need to put the "muscle on them".