It's a great place to start.

Hi, yes Lorain, Ohio is a great place to invest in real estate.

In Tulsa, consider Midtown or Broken Arrow.Network Locally: Connect with wholesalers, agents, and property managers in Oklahoma for insights and off-market deals.Learn Continuously: Listen to podcasts (like the BiggerPockets podcast) and ask questions here—you’re in the right place!

They are a national organization that promotes all kinds of creative real estate deals. 

Some theming is basic and some is overdone, try to be unique or at least high quality, not a place you want to skimp.

In a busier place, you might just be told to find a GC to "un-cluster' what you did.For me, when this happened, I had to go and hire a certified plumber, and electrician, and framer to come in and certify that all the work my handyman did was correct - and to fix the issues that weren't correct.  

If you have a lot of family in OK, that can be a great place to start assessing since you have dedicated boots on the ground, as well as a reason to visit.Don't overthink the analyzing of markets when you are still figuring things out.

I recommend you budget 5% of the gross rent (for the whole place, even what the rent would be if you were living in it as a tenant) for repairs and 5% for capital expenditures.

I'm still in the process of finding an alternative solution but I thought I'd leave this here as a warning for others looking to make a decision.For reference, I'll just post their email response to me here:As we review your inquiry, we would like to remind you of the following key points from our Terms of Use:In no instance shall ShinePay be liable for any of the following:"Lost revenue from service interruptions.Lost revenue stemming from delays, malfunctions of any product.unauthorized gains access to your account or due to shared passwords or if your password is hacked.Destruction to properly, places, or personal injury resulting from the installation, misinstalling, or misuse of any product.Lost revenue from entering the wrong account number for ACH or other bank transfer or money transfers or due to any delay in receiving funds.Damage to your structure, machines or car resulting from use or installation of our products.Any funds collected that are paid to a person that does not own the property.Any harm from defeating the lock and technology that controls the lock to a device.Failure to properly service any product or machine."

The drawback is you need to build trust and relationships upfront.Both have their place, but private money tends to offer more flexibility, while hard money is more structured and accessible if you lack personal connections.