Michigan might be a bit easier to start with because you may have more knowledge about the local area and market trends, but starting there could potentially slow down your move to Florida.

Make sure to connect with local lenders and brokers too.

You're in the right place to network, going to some local meetups could prove beneficial to learning about investment opportunities as well.

she is beachwoodbuyshouses on ig. i'm in MA and she is my CPA. she specializes in RE and is also a VERY active investor herself. she's based in long island. you don't have to use someone local. 

What if you could discover these stories without digging through old records or talking to past owners or locals in the area?

However, my local REIA is the only paid community that I am a part of and it is $200 per year.

If you are going to invest locally I would recommend house hacking.

House-hacking today often has to rely on much greater lifestyle sacrifice than what I personally did 10 years ago, and requires strategies that would make me uncomfortable like rent by the room, or using local laws that allow Short-Term rental only for owner-occupants. 

300 or 400 would be ok for a smaller house.You can provide You Tube TV for cable and local channels so you don't look too cheap.

I'd start out by reaching out to local/regional banks near the property, and local/regional banks near you, or you can can try to find a broker like me that knows those areas as well.