All that being said, I tend to prefer to look at the actual cash sales data in the MLS or tax records versus going off of what people tell me.

Lenders prefer someone that has a full time job!!

In Marina, because I would primarily buy a location (more than the apartment itself) where the demand will be always high in the future.Ah...and beware of the construction quality in Dubai, it may vary a lot on the contractor and you might find yourself in paying a lot of money for maintenance.Bottom line, I prefer to target the Euro market to build up my portfolio, not denying that good opportunities might arise from other cities (again, Dubai?

Most tenants would prefer to be in a single family home so if they can spend another $50 to $100 to get into a SFH, they will.

Covering it with a thin sheet of sheetrock is preferable, then it can never be an issue in the future, but usually we just repair and repaint to save the customer money. 

I am in the Cypress, Texas area located just outside Houston, Texas; so, my preference would be in someone in the general are that I could contact and start setting my team at the same time.Any recommendations?

Sounds like you may have already done something similar, so it wouldn't be like you are stepping into unknown waters.I prefer to take that kind of buying power and get 2-3 rentals in Tacoma over 1 rental in Seattle or Bellevue.  

Exit strategy includes either sell for cash (preferred) or lease option if necessary.If you are near South Bend, let's meet up and discuss REI.Nick

While we all prefer to use people we know and trust, it really makes no difference...the title co. does their work as per industry standards...unless of course you're trying to do some funky double close/assignment you're trying to keep from the seller. 

Believe me, it's expensive.One of the phenomenons I've learned the hard way is what called getting "home-boyed" which refers to a local judge giving incredible preference and bias and ruling in favor of a local attorney vs the out-of-town carpetbagger attorney.