@Michael Sherwood I would love to move back and invest if the rest of my life (wife, job, schooling, etc.) makes it possible.

You need to find out a little information like: employment in that area, school ratings, commute to area that have jobs, potential business/companies coming to the area, and how many properties are rentals to own.  

Maybe I haven't figured out the magic touch to make their search function work. 

There are also big employers (Dell) and awesome schools. 

I'm just amazed at the schools of fish that follow these cruisers and the number that bite, even to the extent of inquiring more about some system as if there is some education offered.

I'd prime and paint over the rooms as the tenants destroy the wallpaper but I'd try to clean with magic erasers first.  

@Eduardo Cardena I am a Note School student and have a thread Journey of a New Note Investor where I chronicle my journey.  

My goal is to flip 3 or 4 properties a year and have a net rental income of about 3,000 a month.This website has been great...I hope to use it to its fullest and eventually contribute some of my lessons learned (hopefully they aren't all from the school of hard knocks).Thanks!

. • A stable area in which people desire to live and have good schools. • Overall state population growth.If you limit your search to any single geographical area you are unlikely to find such properties.

I do look for judgments and evictions of course, however I don't look at school loans or medical bills.You are correct, you NEVER know how a tenant is going to be until they move in.