I would recommend starting in your backyard and hone your skills if its possible, I know some markets have an extreme HCOL which may make it unfavorable in your case.

A lot to take in with the Cincinnati market.

Must be market by market or builder by builder.

VA loans are the only loans that allow this, and there is no rate penalty for it no longer being your primary home.With that in mind, you could do a cash out refinance today at a higher rate than current market rates which will create profit on the loan, we can take that profit to pay for your closing costs.

Market Fluctuations – What if appreciation stalls, or rates rise, impacting your refi strategy?

They would likely be able to confirm that your expenses are reasonable for the area or that your rents are at market rates.

The TX market is a GREAT market to start in.

I've helped 6-7 different investors move money from Oregon to Wyoming in the last 15 years and they are all happy they made the move.Consider finding a market that has a better long-term outlook, economically and legally.

I use some mixed strategies to go on and off market, but I'm just generally curious what others are doing and finding that works for them?

My recommendation would be to choose potential markets - in several price points - that have strong rental demand and year-over-year rent increases and that also are in markets that are appreciating.