You can learn but also more risks IMO because you may be working with less experienced players, so vet your partners carefully.

Shane,Good value add players will create massive value in the first couple years then refinance and pull a lot of equity back to investors so that will limit your risk somewhat.  

So when you plan your initial strategy, don’t underestimate the time it will take.According to Warren Buffett, “Games are won by players who focus on the playing field—not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard.”

I'm a regular member of a similar forum for poker players.  

The general public has a lack of understanding of our regulatory and legal environment with regard to housing, however, some are up on every letter of the law....lots of players out there too.

A key that is very important and I have seen developers on new projects and value add players on existing property make this mistake again and again.They have success doing a certain type of building or reno and then want to apply doing it that way 100% to a new area they are breaking into.

Private Lending can be an interesting way to make a good return on your money for short term loans - and you'll generally have a 1st position lien on the property so if they skipped town, moved to Vegas, and became poker players - you'd get the house.

Mitsubishi is certainly a big player in that market but LG products are also very good.

You will learn a lot about different areas of real estate and meet the players in the Nashville market. 

If you are just starting out in REI and you already realize the presence of bigger players, imagine the sort of realizations they have had in the past several years.