I want to save a little $ by not having to pay an agent over 25K in commission for a project like this.

While these vendors are typically reputable and skilled, you might not get the best price compared to shopping around directly.

Crexi, Loopnet are probably the two biggest but why not work with an agent that can present you with multiple off market and listed deals?

talk to agents. 

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

I looked into the maintenance option years back to discover a trend of:  apx. 8% monthly fee which only included rent collection (everything else from maintenance to turnovers etc, extra, and poor reputation on repairs.)

.: For me it was at total for $13,000 for first year set up with filing fees, registered agent etc.

For any value add project, the primary evaluation is based on the numbers.Provided you have trustworthy teammates for the renovation side and a competent agent on the valuation side, you'll perform no matter the location.It seems your weighing factors that relate more towards long-term investing and where your asset will appreciate the most.In respect to emerging markets, you'll want to use characteristics like population growth, employment growth, safety trends and path of progress.

Even with that, I think we will still be way ahead. 2 bed, 1 bath, 1200sq/ft, detached 1 car garagePurchase Price: $38,000Repairs: $20,000ARV: $96,000 (based off Zillow, but a local real estate agent thought that was pretty accurate)Mortgage: $430Insurance: $55Trash Included: $25Rent: $1,000We are now going through applications for our first tenant.