My goal with REI is to gain financial freedom, spend more time with family here and that are out of town (and therefore cost more to go see), and to be able to buy the things I want ( I love cars and live very close to some luxury auto dealers lol)!

I've been incredibly lucky with tenants, turnover, properties, appreciation, connections etc.That said I do occasionally find myself wondering, what if....If I had bought in Florida or Texas or a booming college town. 

It popped up in the town I live in and I just knew this was the one I needed to buy.

I'm currently biased towards Indianapolis based on its job growth and affordability, but you could honestly find deals in any of the markets you mentioned (and if your heart is set on the Atlanta metro area, I'd strongly suggest the towns Union City and Fairburn based on their growth, appreciation, and price -- I almost closed on a good BRRRR deal in Fairburn but the rehab was just out of my budget). 

I will also note that the RC zoning district allows for quite a few extra units so you would get the best use out of your land by building a quadplex or something like that.if you are interested in going forward though I work part time at NOLA builds in town and they do great work for construction at all levels.feel free to reach out if you have more questions 

The Left must resist the urge to “help” with short-sighted, counter-productive policies like rent control.

Plus, you'd have no control over the brand, size, or capacity of any of these units.First, I'd want to see quotes from reputable contractors.

I have clients that have these kinds of arrangements, and while it is easier when an org fills your units, you can lose control of maintenance and cleanliness.

You do not need a license (like a brokers license) to manage your own properties.However, check your town to make sure you don't need a business license.In Tacoma, WA, as an example, even if you have a property manager, the owners themselves also need to have a Tacoma business license.If you hire a property manager, they will need a brokers license to manage other people's properties.Good luck!

For instance, we stopped originating these three rehab programs and instead originate a construction loan on our balance sheet that we have complete control over.