My advise would be to be pick a market and then start to go deeper into learning about what the best asset type to buy in that market would be. 

@Tony Kim I think you`re just looking at the allocation of money strictly from a Return on  "investement" (being a poor investment), where as the point of a Life Insurance/Living Benifits policy. what your Paying for is in case the individual becomes incapacitated/ has an Illness or Dies, there is a large sum of money that the family receives (and would not otherwise have) to help pay for expenses associated with the unfortunate event, and being able to carry on with life with less of a financial burden compounded with the emotional burden . being able to have retirement money liquid is icing on the cake. 

When conducting research on Tucson as an investor from out of state, pay attention to certain industries that are driving job development, local market statistics, property managers' insights, and online investment forums to obtain a deeper understanding than just surface-level facts.

Did she have a hardship with a job or is there something deeper?

(There is a $7K balance on a property worth prob $150K)So the lady who has had the property is a bit 'emotional.'

Great deals won't be found on the first page of Zillow, rather, you may have to dig a little deeper, turn a few more stones or maybe look a little more into the properties. 

A divorce after years of marriage with kids, is an expensive and emotional experience. 

Right now, my focus is starting on supporting my dad, building up savings, and gaining a deeper understanding of real estate as a long-term goal.

So a project's capital requirement goes deeper than the down payment. 

Rarity is the amount of emotion that people get when they see your post.