@Adam OrtizRecommend 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?

it will show you how many times it was sold and how much they made (usually millions)Hi Laura, would you please recommend a dependable service who would produce accurate, high quality, court-ready documents?

Giving the best quality of service to people is the top priority! 

Here is a question i'm wrestling with and would appreciate any advice on: If you plan to invest in an out-of-state market, should you partner with an investing group based in that market... or would it make more sense to simply find the highest-quality mentoring program, regardless of location? 

You might find that installing a mini-split system, properly insulating, and ensuring the finishes match the main home’s quality will make a difference in how the appraiser views it.

Everything over there is really poor.

Poor rental payment history is a common cause for non renewal. 

Then an appraisal works to my benefit and the quality of the property would be very close (as I said the property I purchased had relatively cosmetic renovations such as painted cabinets).

The right idea is going to be the bread and butter.1) Ideal location2) Quality properties over quantity of properties3) 1.25x DSCR4) Intention to hold no less than 8, but ideally 12+ years.5) Sufficient cap reserves6) Mechanisms to enhance cash flow(via alt investing or house strategies).7) Liability protection through no PG loans(if possible), LLC formation, property management and being a diligent landlord.8) Invest deeper, before wider.Now if you're talking where to invest, different information.

Following the shiny object, throwing money at a market you don't know well, and blindly trusting strangers that have a clear profit motive put you in a poor position to succeed regardless of where you choose to invest.