And are actually making a good career educating and assisting investors to maximize the benefit of the 1031 exchange.

I started my OOS HML  career in Detroit and that was 2002 and WOW coming from our area what an education I got.. my clients that were doing turnkey at the time and all the buyers were out of state ( basically LA based) the local on the ground operator was very good he had all sorts of tricks to try to keep the houses safe.. the one i really liked was painting the copper pipes grey so thieves would not steal them..

Currently working to gain capital as I educate myself and seek knowledge through every possible avenue.

Obviously, there's more risks but with anything in life that deals with money there's always a risk.There are cases over in Alexandria where people are doing Arbritage using Airdna I found most of the places that are 4 bedrooms under most of the time are being rented out and STR'd by the tenant just by cross-referencing with Airbnb hosts and asking around I found out a large amount of hosts of STR's over there are renting out the property so I do know that it is not only possible but frequent at least in Alexandria Oldtown area. 

But that's not very frequent.

Attending local meetups, analyzing deals regularly, and continuing education would position you for long-term growth.Good luck!

I want to be somewhat hands on so I would pick markets that are driveable for you and visit frequently. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

I'm in the first week of education and plan implementation.  

Cash for keys is common, and frequently the part that keeps tenants from moving forward is not having an affordable place to go to.