When looking in towns/neighborhoods, what is the most important criteria to look at to determine if it is desirable? Schools, Crime, Industry?Suppose you think you have found a good property (SFH) but the town doesn’...

I am looking for an accountability partner to chat with once a week or so, to bounce ideas off of, talk progress, and lift each other up.

Put up a camera and a sign that says video surveillance in progress.

That is hurdle that most real estate investors fail to complete, so regardless the outcome, you're making progress. 

There are some new development plans in the horizon but it's tough to tell if it's going to be in the "path of progress".

New to real estate investing but read appraisers value different things in different parts of the country.Can anyone offer some advice on what appraisers are looking at in Kentucky when evaluating its worth?  

You can always build out complexity as you progress. 

There are parts that are starting to progress, but also some D class stuff there.

I am evaluating several areas in Austin, but I would like to look at data to help me evaluate which of these areas are surest bets for the types of year-to-year, room-by-room renters I'm looking for.

If you want to be a real estate investor, you have to learn how it works by seeing properties locally and knowing what each price point looks like in person and how to evaluate repairs.