Since you're already in Tampa, staying local for your first few deals can help you stay hands-on and learn faster.

Nashville, Dallas, etc etc)Yeah, I know states like Florida and Arizona have prohibited local municipalities from restricting non-owner occupied STRs.

Local agent here near Bella Vista and investor myself. 

Find a local meetup is your first step.

The best thing you can do is listen to the BP podcasts, read through some of the forums and attend some local meetups to connect with other investors.

so, good inventory gets snapped up by locals before OOS investors even get a look at it.

I am going to see if I can switch to a local Wisconsin insurance that reflects our local risk level in their premiums.Many of the homes in the Pacific Palisades are 3-5 million, but when you look on Google Street View, most are very modest homes from the 1960s (there are some $20m ultra luxury mansions too), so a lot is the land value, the home replacement value on a 1600sqft may be what - 500k at the most?

I have lived in Truckee for over 23 years and understand the pain you can go through dealing with a local government where the answer you received on Monday is different than the answer you receive on Tues, Wed, Thur & maybe even Friday if anyone is working.

Also, if you consider the fact that his 30 year mortgage is $100-$200 less per month than what local folks pay for rent, then it's not as predatory as it may sound at first.

I'd start with attending local investor meet ups.