After listening to the podcast and reading the forums, I'm really just looking to get that first property under my belt.

Get yourself a good used lawnmower, weed whacker and blower.

The rust belt states with cold weather except for urban core many of those markets are suffering and the economies and jobs are evaporating.Almost all my clients are buying in warm climate states.  

Then you only have the HVAC guy install and hook up the blower and compressor.

I don't rehab anything anymore and I currently have 2 more under my belt at 40k profit and 70k profit over the next 5 years I don't need much cash flow ( although they have a few hundred dollars) so I look at these as seeds in the ground that will one day yield a big fruit harvest in 4 or 5 years.

and it gets back to that rust belt mid west /  vs our west coast arguments which are better.at the end of the day if your in a non appreciating market why buy a rental at all buy a different investment all together buy notes or buy small business that you can manage and make money.My best rentals in the mid west were new constructions hands down.. they break even all these years but the tax advantages and principal pay down is worth it.. since they are a breeze to manage and I have put less than 2500 into anyone of them over 7 years of ownership as again they were all brand new.. and the rents are the top rents for the county so I get white color tenants that keep the home as neat as my own. ( generally) I did have one get trashed. though..

But I can see that being extremely confusing and frustrating for anyone trying to get their first property under their belt and utilizing Roofstock to get it done.  

I am glad to get up into the rust belt and see whats going on.. 

I am hoping to find someone who has broken the surf I know I have plenty to learn but I can only read so many more books until I have to just get that first deal under my belt. 

The city has an outer-belt, Interstate 275 (which is the longest circle highway in the country) and a spur, Interstate 471, to Kentucky.