Do you recommend it?

Any recommendations would be great!

Shame on those here recommending it.Similarly, don’t even consider borrowing against your personal residence—even if you could qualify.

I recommend not doing what your are proposing.  

Hey Cecil, if you have the capital to operate locally, and it fits your goals to do so, I highly recommend doing that.Congrats on securing your primary though.

That’s a great move—starting early with analyzing deals will put you in a strong position when you're ready to buy.Since you're open to other markets in the Southeast, I’d definitely recommend taking a look at Chattanooga.

For this reason, I often recommend setting up separate LLCs for Illinois investments.

I highly recommend an attorney to draw one up as each state and each property can have unique issues. 

Because this is your first rental property, I would recommend finding an amazing PM company and paying them what they are worth.

Pay attention to the details and be organized Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?