There's pockets all over the greater Tampa Bay Area that are B class and up but balancing that with a decent cap rate is going to be tricky unless you either have low cap rate expectations or are will to do value add to the property or being more creative such as using a short or midterm rental strategy or even room by room with padsplit.2) Verify as well the 1031 is going to allow "like for like" into a single family. 

I recently was given the responsibility to manage this and learning how landlord tenant relationship works, how to work repairs, and how to think about future investment strategies.

The metro Atlanta area offers a diverse range of opportunities, and your focus on buy and hold or fix & flip deals in the single-family home market up to $250K all in sounds like a solid strategy.

I am currently building a dynamic team of multifamily brokers, mentors, and fellow investors passionate about the world of investing and financial growth.I aim to create a collaborative environment where we can share insights and strategies and support each other in our financial endeavors.

And there's a pretty good community of fantastic people investing in Abilene in all sorts of different realms of real estate using tons of different strategies.

What strategies have you found most effective in securing the best deal for your clients or yourself?

Going Direct to the listing agent: If the purchase is low risk, such as a house less than 10 years old in a neighborhood I'm familiar with, and it aligns with an investment strategy I've used multiple times before (like short-term rental, buy and hold, or flipping), then yes, I would consider going direct to the listing agent.

I currently own an STR in Vilano Beach, FL, however, I am switching my strategy to MTR moving forward and would like to hear from experienced investors in the area! 

I'm considering a house hacking strategy in the greater Houston area, ideally within a 30-minute drive of Rice University (including Fort Bend County).

So, there will be some strategies closed to you unless you are a cash buyer.