I am currently in Hong Kong, and there is no way I can or will invest here as home prices compared to rent yields just don't make sense according to any of my calculations.

Sometimes it’s straightforward, like keeping investors updated in a way that’s candid and transparent, or celebrating their milestones alongside your own.

Need to be sure you include the "unknown budget" and never take the optimistic approach as it is better to have money left at the end than writing more and more checks that were unplanned for.Again, if you can walk through an actual property and compare notes with someone that does it in your area (key factor), you will be way ahead of what a generic book can give you.

Not as many compared to coastal towns after a Hurricane, but still some.

Prices are still relatively low compared to many other metros, and rental demand remains strong.I built my portfolio to 12 doors there while living in Detroit (now back in California) and have seen firsthand how the right strategy can still work.

I've attached the median list price for Detroit here as well to compare to something like Cincinnati. 

You could be in an expensive market, like LA, but you inherited a property or you got a killer wholesale deal or subject to and the numbers could be very attractive compared to buying off the MLS for full market price in the same market.

And lastly, I search FunishedFinder listings nearby, find comparable properties, and track the listed rent for a few months (does it increase, decrease?).

Whether you should take a retirement distribution or not depends on several factors1) How much do you value the freedom/flexibility to ues the money NOW compared to when you are 60 years old.2) What type of return can you get having cash vs investing in an IRA / SDIRA.If you can make a 1% - 2% better annual return in your personal name, it may make sense as the added return will pay for the penalties over a couple of years.I personally cashed out of my retirement account back in 2016 and it was the best decision I made.

I would factor in time to travel to any market, but AZ is relatively quick compared to the east coast.