Partnering with an experienced local agent will be key—they can guide you through the market and help identify the best opportunities.

Then, they sign the lease, are issued a key, and can move in.Nobody moves in without passing my screening and signing the lease.

—will be key to success!!

RE Brokers in the area are a key team member as they should know the area, good rental areas, and they will be a good resource for rentals (possibly, if they deal in rentals).

I can say from having taught classes on these loans that your contractor will be the biggest key to your success.

Confidence is key!   

Is in there, but a great thing you can do now is get your "core 4" figured out - agent/lender/manager/contractor - obviously you can adjust this and do one of the pieces yourself (self-manage for example) or don't need a contractor if you do only turnkey etc but getting this nailed down early is key

The key is to pick a lane—focus on improving as an investor, finding great deals, and letting a solid property manager handle the operations.

Do you want to purchase "turn-key" properties or "fixer uppers"?

While cash flow may be harder to achieve here, these markets often shine in their ability to withstand market downturns and provide solid appreciation over time.The key in markets like this is understanding your goals.