I am on the board of CFRI, the local chapter for National REIA.

I'm up in Michigan, but we do have a few branches in your area I believe so if it's helpful to connect with someone local happy to make that connection.  

Hey Peter, not crazy at all—plenty of investors start out-of-state, especially if their local market isn’t ideal.

I would recommend attending some local meet up groups or REIA meetings.

To connect with potential partners, consider attending local real estate investor meetups where you can network with those looking to invest passively.If you’d like to explore HM financing options, feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to chat!

Apps like DealMachine can help, but a simple spreadsheet works too.Networking – Connect with local investors, wholesalers, and real estate agents.

If you decide to go the Airbnb route in either city, be sure to check local regulations around short-term rentals to avoid any surprises.

If you could see that the population growth was increasing, then you could invest with some security. 

We're also seeking to buy a local (Raleigh / Durham) property management company to expand that business more rapidly.

He knows local investors to bring me bids now that property is cleaned out and cleaned up.