I grew up in RI and my dad is a carpenter in the area (was as my parents recently moved to FL) but that got me into that market with some local presence as I stayed in the Boston area. (4) properties and 14 units later, I still find myself investing in RI as the price point is about half of Boston but the cash flow is similar.

If this is your first venture, your presence at the property will be very important, there is a learning curve, factor in your travel time and other commitments.

I've been an STR host for 2 years for my 2 STRs,  I want to do this for 2 or 3 more years and build up as many cabin clusters (starting with the 10 I'll own this spring) and maybe additional SFH, as much of a direct booking presence as possible and as much goodwill in the OTA listings, then either sell it all to someone or hire someone to operate the entirety.

He announces his live presence at his home office right where boats can drive by on the water, and it's not safe.

If you're investing in real estate out of your home state don't you have, at minimum, a Realtor, Contractor, Property Manager, Lawyer, etc. in the state where you're looking to create a local presence?

I too at first thought it odd, that they didn't have a big internet presence, though they've been around over 6 years.

While some agents have legitimate pocket listings (like selling between friends or family members), without a presence on major platforms, it's difficult to verify legitimacy.

He is obviously doing very well as a STR host but his mentorship is pretty expensive for not having much of an online presence. 

Set it up so they can give you their name and email address so you can contact them in the future to learn more about their property.Create Facebook and YouTube Videos about Your Real Estate Investing BusinessLastly, having a presence on YouTube and Facebook Live video will definitely get you in front of the right audience.

I was just down in Austin last week and know they have a good presence.