. - Just be prepared, because a motivated seller typically has a property with issues you need to be sure you can solve.

We go to our property typically 2-3 times a year.

@Kris Lou Be careful with agents as 95%+ of them really only know how to handle owner-occupied transactions.We don't do biz in Indianapolis, so this is unbiased info we hope you find useful:Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

To ensure you’re not overpaying, compare these quotes to typical rates in the area using resources like HomeAdvisor or Thumbtack, or by reaching out to local contractors for ballpark estimates.

We typically alter our strategy seasonally, as demand shifts with the seasons.

Adding a 1/2 bath, new roof, central air or other typical improvements will increase the value of the property. 

Quote from @Michael Challenger: I have no qualms with hard money lending, but I need to learn more about the process and structure to these for typical deals so that I am more comfortable and in a position to reduce my personal risk and risk to investors as much as possible.

Yes, when there are multiple adult occupants, you would typically combine their gross incomes to determine if they meet the income criteria.

@Augusta Owens here's some copy & paste info you won't find in a book:)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Looks like there is one program that has not closed yet in Ohio, maybe not the right county, but I would call anyway, they typically know who else could help.https://nlihc.org/rental-assistance?