Dollars outweigh calls every day of the week.To me, what appears to be the problem isn't setting the goals, or choosing the goals, but having a plan of how to get there. 

If you choose not to show up, he would almost certainly be awarded a judgement.Of course, you could choose not to pay the judgement, but then he can send it to a collections agency and your credit score will be trashed.I don't see a scenario here where you get through this cleanly.  

If you're not set on a specific market, it's worth waiting until you choose, as forming the LLC in your target state can simplify compliance, property registration, and taxes. 

Start small with one property, choose a strategic location, stay transparent with lenders, and ensure tax compliance.

Regardless of which state you choose, be sure to maximize your liability on your renters policy and get an umbrella - this will protect you more than any LLC will. 

I don't know where you fall, but if you are aggressive, then there are lots to choose from (more than 100 deals a month) and they are very easy to locate.

@Maynhia Stott Many states that sell tax lien certificates/liens allow counties to sell OTC - but it is up to the county to choose to do so.

The city is rapidly growing in terms of population and job market with so many major companies choosing to move and develop here like Intel, Google, Amazon, etc.

A two bedroom 1,300 sq ft cabin is going to go for way less than a 2 bed, 2,400 sq ft cabin.One of the issues out there too is that some are setup as legal 2 bedroom cabins because of the septic but then they have lofts and such that allow you to rent them out as 3 or even four bedroom cabins to improve the rent.You mentioned one nearby you with a similar layout.

Start by researching the market to choose the right city and property type while understanding the local economy.