And the locals in Highlands have been fiercely debating STR's and regulations for the last few years, so I wouldn't be comfortable buying there.

I’m also an active member of the local landlord association in Joliet (JRLA), which has been a great resource for networking and education.

Regulations & Compliance: What's the best way to research local STR laws and avoid potential regulatory issues?

For most single-state investors, a local LLC is the practical choice. 

So, let's try some local real estate meetup groups.

Depending on the salaries of the new jobs they may also price out the local residents on new home sales which would further drive up the price.

I recommend local meetups. https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521

My only recommendation is you go with someone local to where you are.

I found this property through my network of local real estate professionals.

We have tried multiple local collection agencies, and we have not received a penny for over a hundred thousand dollars of bad debt submitted to them.We keep hearing, "It takes time" but it's been well over a year with the most recent one.