If you don't identify a specific path you are likely to get lost in the information overload, or worse, noise.Since you're local to KC I suggest you join the local REI group MAREI.

I have been doing some reading on how to study a market for investing and after I read several articles I feel confident in knowing how to investigate a market but then 5 minutes later I feel lost and don't know where to start.

@Kenneth Jackson,About the only option you have is to learn how to team up with money partners, whether that's private lenders, other investors or hard-money.Read up on self-directed retirement accounts and how folks can use them to take more active control of their earnings on their retirement savings.When you can show folks how you can get them 12% to 20% return on their money versus the beating their savings has taken on Wall Street - 50% to 90% losses, you'll soon have more money available than you can find deals to do.There was a post in another thread about the biggest mistakes newbies make.

You should have control over who the pm selects as a tenant.

I own a commercial office/warehouse building and recently lost my tenant to them purchasing their own location.  

If I could go back in time I would have sold all my luxury lease options before getting stuck with 14 houses, when the market tanked back in 2007, I lost everything but I am now looking forward to doing it all again now that the market is improving, so I know how to get in but knowing when to get out is more important.

While you will never entirely control vacancy, with a solid business plan, there is not reason to fear it.

The one mentioned had an accpted offer put in literally days before I would make mine and was a solid one so I consider that one lost.

Long term, I plan to own or control multi-family properties in major metro areas with strong cash flows and positive demographic, economic, and population trends. 

I also became aware of a family of six who had lost their house in a fire that started in a neighbors house and totaled this families house next door.