Got the lead from calling local landlords.

@Alex ClarkBoth the Columbus and Cleveland markets are great for investing in from out of state since they are landlord-friendly, and have a low barrier of entry and cash flow.

Hi Maria,You can get an umbrella policy or landlord insurance to protect yourself.

I would go much higher than 300k liability and do 500-1M if possible.HOWEVER,On your landlord policy it might ask if you allow pets, and if you do the TENANTS pets must be on YOUR carriers approved list as well.Hope this helps.

If someone sues you and wins, they can only take the LLC that owns the property that was involved in the lawsuit.Best: Using a combination of LLC and land trust to protect your rental properties.

From 2019 county records, land is 86% of the total value of the property which is not realistic.

Most throw their landlords under the bus without hesitation. 

My inquiry is primarily regarding the cost basis - can you elaborate on "the different methods of allocating land for CSS purposes" (I don't know how would you use insurance, cause they don't insure the land, nor Zillow does show land/house allocation).Just to double-check to make sure I get this correctly:Let's say I get a property for 100K, well below market value.The county tax assessment for the property is 250K, with 50K land and 200K improvement (or a 20% / 80% ratio).Which one do I use as the cost basis for the CSS?

I would try the "Land and New Construction" forum for better results but I also think that speaking with other investors in your market would work best.  

West Texas and other rural communities there are very few land “Deals” since you need to bring the purpose to the property.