You don't have to buy in areas you aren't comfortable in just to get the rent/cash flow stability of Section 8.Feel free to reach out if you need guidance navigating Birmingham.  

Navigating Columbus, OH2.

can you please advise how you all navigated through that. thank you

Safety should always be a top priority, and certain jobs may require specialized skills or licensing.As an investor friendly agent, I can help you navigate the market and find properties that fit your investment goals.

With so many details and potential pitfalls to navigate, you want to be sure you're well-prepared.

In order to successfully navigate out of state investing it is essential you build a team as Greg Schreffler  suggested.

I'm ashamed to say I'm not very good at navigating BP's website.

But if you have a violation on the property or need to evict at some point (for non payment or tenant does not vacate at end of lease or tenant violates the lease . . .) or your tenant realizes that you have no license, not only are you in some trouble, you could be required to return all of the rent that you received -- plus you will need an attorney to navigate you out of the mess. 

I know that there are restrictions against STR in certain counties and hoping that folks in this community can help me navigate where the best cities/communities are located for STR.

They will be valuable to lean on for advice when you get stuck in situations that you don't know how to navigate.