Connecting with an investor-friendly agent in your chosen market is also a good idea.

I looks like you are in Cali which is a notoriously tenant friendly state.

If you haven't already connected with an investor-friendly lender yet I'd highly suggest that.

If anything, have a small sign in front of the house that says who the builder is and phone number (that's common for contractors to do, and also so that neighbors feel they have some to call if there is dust blowing from the site or whatever), and then you may have people calling you asking about availability (people always want something more that they had to chase and can tell their friends the story of how they got the house). 

It could’ve just be my personality, but I always felt a little reluctant to be extra friendly if the other side did not reciprocate.

Another friend who invests heavily in Phoenix shared a story about her first deal there..she jumped too quickly into a duplex without adding a little cushion for those first-year capital improvements.

Just a friendly fellow newbie investor looking to network!

What you're doing there is making friends, and you make a lot of friends this way.

It’s great to hear that you’re exploring real estate opportunities in Jacksonville, especially with your focus on Class B properties and military-friendly options.

I actually got across this thread while Googling data on rent-to-price ratios for a friend who was exploring Lakeland.