Those are probably the biggest pieces, the rest is talking to other investors, surround yourself with these folks, build the relationships, run the numbers, get comfortable with the numbers, and start writing offers. 

I would consider the price of the competition, design, and amenities they're offering.

More than happy to offer any advice.

A seller will favor an offer a lot more if it's a quick escrow with little to no contingencies versus a long escrow and multiple appraisal and loan contingencies.

We went with highest offer got a counter asking $20k more and reluctantly signed.

Any advice, resources, or personal experiences you can share would be greatly appreciated!

But as a first-time buyer, there are so many things in the process I am just not familiar with, including how to structure the offer, being able to view listings on Costar, doing due diligence, etc.

I'm thinking about offering an owners' rep service for folks who want to invest from out of state but want an independent opinion from their broker. 

He even wrote a guest post for my blog about this topic, and would absolutely be a good resource for you!

Happy to be a resource and share data for the area.