Miami is still doing well, Fort Myers is adjusting and has lower real estate than 12 months ago, etc..)My simple thought, for what it is worth, is choose a place to live and not invest in:  choose the location you and your family WANT to live in ( because of the schools, taxes, weather, other family there, etc...) and then buy and do real estate there (and get whatever licenses you need once you start third party management).I wish you well!

Buy a few books, start simple, do your own property managing.

•Tenants demand prompt, high-quality service and without caring about cost •Vendors seek to earn as much compensation for their work as possible.Balancing these needs requires thoughtful stewardship, strong communication, and a commitment to fairness.

We just liked how Rentec Direct was setup for us - it has a really simple interface, but did a lot of what we wanted.

Read some books, preferably those written prior to 2015 when YouTube gurus started telling everyone how easy it is to buy 17 houses a year with no money down.Investing is pretty simple if you just follow the process investors were using since the beginning of time.

I've found that having a good team of people who trust each other, stay in their lanes, and communicate are the biggest reasons we have succeeded.

I highly encourage all my tenants to keep open communication with me about any struggles to pay rent, and generally they do.

Building trust can lead to better negotiations and more opportunities in the long run.Managing seller relationships is about clear communication.

Although the official language is English, it is comical sometimes let’s call it my failure to communicate.  

This will cut down significantly on the issues you may have down the road with communication, paying rent on time, caring for property, etc.