And also, keeping in mind your desire to move south.Keep learning (obviously)Potentially wholesale some deals.

Rents are $900 and I may just be talking myself into it but, to me an area on the rise should be helped to rise by making properties nicer and more desirable to live in.

I'm going to be honest so I can paint the picture as to where I am as a new investor: I've marketed for buyers, practiced calculating ARV numbers so see how that works, and have searched for properties. 

If you can search by that code you could try.

But the search has been rough as this is a seller's market (as I'm sure you know!)

After searching for more information on the subject, I came across Bigger Pockets and have since become an avid listener of the podcast.

I kinda agree with @Kevin Sobilo, at least in regard to the multitude of questions you are raising - some of them worth of their own separate discussion thread (which you can search for and you'll find plenty of various advice).But here is my 2¢:2.

I was worried about this based on the google searches but have not taken a deep dive into the tax code.

- What size would tenants deem desirable?

Sorry if I am missing it, but how do you search the forum posts?