I’m starting to look for lenders and agents so I can narrow down my search for homes and get a good idea of what I can get. 

I would personally narrow it down to 2-3 cities and see which city you can build the best team in and then go from there.

Our neighbors, a couple who harbored a narrow vision of neighborhood identity, opposed our mission to rent out our home.

However, if you are able to narrow your scope to 1 or at most a few specific markets, you may be able to get a fair idea of how many rentals there are from out of state landlords from the assessment data by looking for out of state mailing addresses with multi-family properties.

@Michael Baum thank you Michael, I did real all those comments and didn’t have my criteria as narrowed down.

Hey @Minho Lee - my only advice would be to not narrow yourself down into what you think your ideal goals are for the current position you're in. 

By way of example, cash flow is largely relied upon which leads most to invest in zero barrer of entry neighborhoods but the appoach is narrow minded and fails to account for the qualities that are more indicative of a properties performance over time and where the true gains are realized.

Stocks (What 145 Years of Returns Tells Us) (biggerpockets.com)level 2) what should you do next 50 yrs, answer: Whichever one gives you an EDGE. you need to study both, then find which one you really can't stop thinking/dreaming about, then study/breathe/chew/swallow/digest everything about that one and better yet a narrow focus within, so you can develop an informational EDGE. 

This is a strategy I've been thinking about and will be bringing up with the seller when I meet with him next to narrow some things down. 

While I can't definitively say which are the absolute top 5 zip codes in Columbus, I can help you narrow your search for Class A neighborhoods that offer a good balance of rental cash flow, low vacancy rates, safety, and strong school systems.Some promising areas to consider based on general market research include New Albany (43064), known for excellent schools, safety, and strong rental demand, although cash flow might be lower due to higher property values.