Everywhere else has a declining population and not a lot to get excited about long term. 

The majority of my properties are in a very established neighborhood/area that would wage an all out war for a developer looking to build property that would compete with me.  

Establishing a great relationship with a mentor or group that is actively doing this would be great!

We look to see the local market through our partner’s eyes and help them spot and rate opportunities and then we help them execute the best ones.We focus on real estate developers and GCs that have a track record of getting things built, but that are not so established that they have a large network of equity capital providers.

I teach how to establish credibility through my concept, The 3 Pillars of Conversion, which I’ve developed to help clients succeed regardless of location or age—as long as they target the right audience.Lastly: You’ve accused me of “selling SEO.”

Furthermore unless you have a Roth IRA (can't move into Solo 401k) there really isn't a good reason to establish an SDIRA and a Solo 401k since you can do everything in the Solo 401k.   

If you are building from scratch, see if you can buy a corner lot to build a duplex that has one driveway/garage on one street and the other on the other street-they look more like a large single family home until you go around the corner. 

If you're considering establishing an LLC for your rental property, it's a smart move for liability protection, especially as you plan to grow your real estate portfolio. 

A lot to me would depend on who had pets, the previous tenant ?

The tax code is complex, and as a new real estate investor, you already have a lot to learn about real estate investing.