With lower priced properties I take an approach that is similar to low-moderate income sales accomplished like many non-profits offer, a learning period to home ownership, a period to acquire the down payment, after satisfactory experience the buyer moves into title.I believe you have a Habitat For Humanity affiliate in Ft.

I don't know this firsthand, but I know people in NC that are cash flowing with moderate down payments.I live and operate in Ohio, feel free to get in touch if you have more specific questions.

The areas closest to Glacier, peak in the summer with moderate shoulder seasons and a very slow winter.  

One of our moderators is in Lexington, James Vermillion.

The things I am looking for in this new market are: Moderate to high rental demand, moderate to high supply of undervalued homes (<$200,000), moderate to high economic strength and moderate to low investor competition.

It's like snake-oil salesman convinving people that alcohol with a new label will suddenly cure baldness.I rent properties for more than 30 days and less than one year.

In other words, do you spend $X creating a well known brand that pulls customers in without much additional marketing effort/expense, or do you spend that same $X on direct customer acquisition.In industries where customers are potentially repeat customers for life (fast food, alcohol, cigarettes, automobiles), spending that money on brand building is cheaper than spending that money on acquiring the same customers over and over -- that's why these industries put a ridiculous percentage of their profits back into building their brand.In real estate, the "customers" are the sellers -- they generate the income, even if not directly.

Some were excellent for the first couple of jobs but then later turned out to be alcoholic?

So I’m a 20 year old college student looking to invest 250k with a moderately/slightly aggressive risk tolerance.

While we don't necessarily have the time to manage the properties 100% ourselves, we at least do have the flexibility to be moderately involved and plan to keep the property manager accountable and regularly undergo thorough audits of incurred expenses (i.e. request bigger ticket items $150-$200< to be submitted etc).Through a mentor (very large SoCal real estate investor involved in large Industrial, retail, and with vast experience in SFH-MF), I've been seriously advised against hiring a property manager - he's warned that while the baseline fees appear to be a good deal, the inflated repair bills, stalled evictions, and mismanagement will eat up cash flow and money out of pocket will be needed to make mortgage payments - even with the best PMs.Out of curiosity, what has your experience been like with property managers?