Hi, I am looking to buy my first rental property.

., you could hire an appraiser to assess the property and compile a report to obtain an accurate evaluation.

@Devin James I'm not currently doing it, but I've for sure toured some properties in my market that I think would make great candidates. 

This is where a 1031 exchange can bridge the gap.First they have to convert that property to an investment property. 

The main difference is that you don't borrow "money ", but instead buy the property from the lender over 360 payments, and the price of the property is marked up - this is the "profit" they charge.

A good PM protects your monthly income and your overall property value.A skilled property manager will protect your property, income, time, and sanity.

@Haneef PorterRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in.Why is Property Class so important for investors to understand and apply in their investing strategies?

Because the Property Class dictates the Class of the tenant pool that the property will attract.

For example, if they really want $500k for a property, maybe offer a purchase price of $500k but a lower down payment and interest rate (and a longer-term).

Given your skills, you might consider value-add properties, BRRRR (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) strategies, or even house hacking to maximize returns.