Start attending local meetups to learn more about your market.

Yeah at the time I was a foreman on a construction crew for a local contractor/my beat friend and mentor, so I had a truck full of all the tools, access to leftover materiels needed as well as a significant amount of experience so yes I personally added a second bathroom and as far as the 5th bedroom goes, it was just a matter of putting a door on the "living room".

That brings me to the most important piece, I have formal written qualifications well before you ever advertise the space.

There are also a few local investor groups you should go to- one in Merrillville and one in Highland.

Jacksonville will only continue to grow..check in with @Joseph Chiofalo he's a excellent local lender excellent at educating first time investors.

I would recommend placing on extension and finding a local CPA with property knowledge. 

My dad broke up the concrete in just a few locations so water could seep through and drain into the soil, then filled the pool with the cheapest stone and clean soil locally available, then planted grass.

Utilize Listing Syndication: With TenantCloud, you can advertise your units across 20+ ILS like Rent.com, RealtyStore.com, Redfin, Rentals.com, Oodle, Apartment Guide, RentalSource, Rentalads.com, and Zumper.

I'm originally from Maryland (close to DC) and currently live here but willing to move to be local to Norfolk/Hampton Roads if necessary.

I'm torn about investing local or going oos.