They have local "boots on the ground" partners who do the legwork of walking through properties and helping with values because they are local market experts.

But, you dont know that until you've had on the ground experience in both.

Not looking at any major maintenance issues coming up, but I am in beginning phases of the deal and haven't completed a thorough due diligence yet. waiting on my loan approval from the bank before I do a hardcore inspection(have a credit issue where exwife supposed to pay something and didn't and they wont remove my name).

The research phase never stops!

Be aware that decades ago heavy industry put a lot of arsenic in the air, and toxic levels are still present in the ground in some north end areas.

Recently the property manager looked through our back fence from the neighbor's yard (vacant unit), and took pictures of what few piece of stool on the ground.

I currently have loans at 3 financial institutions and one of them has become a PITA so I am phasing it out.

After you have done the ground work, You can (& possibly should :) ) invest in out of town properties if it works.

If you are a "hands-off" buy and hold investor (i.e. use a PM for the day to day running of your properties) then you will spend a lot of time during the acquisition phase and not that much time once your property is rented and running smoothly.

The financial institution that I'm dealing with didn't bring this up during the pre-approval phase and it only came out when it went to underwriting.