You also need to know your local market and then you need to know how to properly and legally structure and perform the transaction.

They will be able to guide you properly in order to have the best shot of getting you where you want to be.

I have a couple lessons learned from our first hard money experience. 1) Make sure you include your plan to pay the hard money back in your up front planning and underwriting of your property. 2) Use an attorney to formalize the agreement and record it properly  Then stick to the agreement no matter what.

I've reached out to BP to see if there is a waitlist and way for me to sell and properly transfer my space to someone desperately wanting to attend.

Affordable real estate and great lifestyle to switch it up from the West

I know I want to start with SFH or multifamily as it fits my current lifestyle to invest in that area. 

Just know them going in so that you can properly budget.

Just know them going in so that you can properly budget.

The fact they are complaining online might be an indication the property manager dealt with them properly so be sure to ask the manager for their side of the story.7.

If you can self-manage locally and are willing I'd also stay local for that reason, saving 8-10% on a PM and getting firsthand knowledge of how to properly manage a property will help you a ton once you do upgrade to using a PM.As others have said, there are other risks associated with buying out of state, if you have the capital to manage and weather any storms you may run into from afar its not out of the question as to whether it is worth it but as a new investor you truly do not know what you do not know so I wouldn't recommend investing long-distance.