Having a knack for numbers and data analysis will serve you well!

Just as an FYI - the majority of clients I see are investing in the midwest currently. 

I have a client that buys and turns around challenging properties, Mostly 4 plexus and small apartment complexes.

Quads, Trips, and Dups serve every type of potential tenant.   

It's the same for both finding deals and for finding clients (buyers / sellers).  

Do your due diligence, but confirm it with your team (and any large discrepancies serve as red flags, about either the information or the confidence in your team members).

You can do the research, join a local apartment association or hire a PM.If that sounds doable to you, you can certainly search online for a property, but if you find a good agent, they should be able to steer you to a property that will serve you well as well as point you in the right direction for any management advice you might need.Best of luck!

Those banks tend to lend though in only states where they have locations.The conversion rate used to be in Canada's favor years back but has swung the other way so it's harder to invest in the U.S. for return.I have had some Canadian clients in the past for commercial retail.

Talk to a realtor who has helped clients buy 2-4plexes.

  #1- pay down your debt, you can't make money in real estate until you have money and plenty of it-- those folks, more than likely, did it that way... a conservative approach, that served them well and probably because they aren't the riskiest of investors