If anyone has advice—whether it’s general tips or insights about these markets—I’d really appreciate it! 

Thank you Byron! 

You are welcome.

Does anyone have a recommendation of a national collection agency that is effective?

I would recommend tuning into Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast and going to local meetups. 

It all depends on the walls you are hitting.

Any tips?

A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You should also consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

Below is some copy & paste info about our methodology:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

That sounds like a perfect fit for you