I am not interested in a volatile market.I am currently considering the following locations:1.

I am interested in purchasing my first out of state (currently live in CA) investment property.

Contrary to your line of thinking here, instead of having the restaurant buy your steak for you or taking steak to the restaurant to have it cooked (for a markup), some might think its better if you bought and cooked your own steak.It does seem in some of the states, you can act as your contractor on a single build or your primary residence; so it would appear if someone can handle the travel between 50+ cities, may not necessarily need a markup GC.

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/2024-dscr-loan-rates-and-...What Are Current DSCR Loan Rates?

People wont leave their current homes til rates come down.

Currently using SmartMove and Im not impressed but dont have anything to compare it to.What are your requirements?

I'm also eager to network and partner with current investors, offering my expertise as your go-to agent in the Jackson area.

Or what is the situation/current set up? 

This will drive how much you can borrow.Consider More Modest Options FirstWith $200k in investments to deploy, look at starting with 1-2 short-term rental properties first to gain experience before scaling up.Explore markets closer to your mom's current location that may have lower costs but still tourism appeal.This allows you to validate the model and your ability to operate short-term rentals successfully before risking more capital.The short-term rental concept could potentially work, but I would recommend starting with a smaller, very well-researched first step to validate the model before going all-in on a larger endeavor.

BP,I currently own a rental in birmingham.