This also indicates a contrarian view for me, as I am hesitant to invest where all the action is and property values have already risne substantially.1)Employmenta)good current employment situationb)regulatory and tax climate attractive for businesses to invest in and create jobsc)workforce to attract business investment2)Populationa)education facilitiesb)competent local leadershipc)weather - "Sun Belt" trend 3)Investment analysisa)good tenants, low crimeb)affordable housing and rentsc)low taxes - cost of ownershipd) sufficient cash flow and ROIAs Finexaminer mentioned in another post, you must start with a macro view of trends, determine areas to focus on and move closer in your analysis for a more finite view of particular areas and neighborhoods and specific properties therein.Such analysis will make you realize why places like Colorado springs have grown tremendously.

BP has a tremendous amount of information to help you, but it is only available if you seek it out.

BP has a tremendous amount of information to help you, but it is only available if you seek it out.

BP has a tremendous amount of information to help you, but it is only available if you seek it out.

BP has a tremendous amount of information to help you, but it is only available if you seek it out.

I suspect most books are going to be generic and the laws and how they affect your bidding and strategies vary tremendously form state to state.

I appreciate the comments this has helped me tremendously.

With no experience, a commercial real estate agent would be a tremendous help to you. 

You can learn a tremendous amount there by just reading.

That would be tremendously valuable to me and allow me to buy other properties and have a nest egg for repairs and maintenance (though I plan to save 15k out of my primary residence for this purpose as well).