You may have had a great experience with figure.com but implying you got a “good” appraisal from them is fundamentally wrong.  

I taught a 2-day (that is 14 hours) seminar on bookkeeping for investors and their bookkeepers, and we only cover fundamentals.

Essentially how to use leverage is the fundamental way to answer and analyze your situation. 

With that said, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with an up/down style. 

Invest based on fundamentals and up to an amount you can comfortably afford(which means 99% of the stuff on here does not apply).

Yes there is lot more to it, but these are the fundamentals..DM me if you want to chat..

When considering OOS investing, look for markets with strong economic fundamentals, such as job growth, population growth, and low unemployment rates.

These books will provide fundamental knowledge.(2) Hire your team (agent, lender, contractor, and property manager).

I am not looking for answers like "Columbus OH is hot", I want to understand on a fundamental and then practical level how to find good investments in the entire USA.

I would recommend looking up Rachel Gainsbrugh- she's a former pharmacist who was able to retire from medicine due to STRs/MTRs, and she teaches others how to do the same.I'd say smart call looking at other markets- choose a market based on its fundamentals, not proximity!