Pay a professional for specific advise.

Would you have recommendations/advise of what zip codes/up-and-coming neighborhoods to look for in these cities?

That's how I've been advised.

One contract with an attachment of a list of all 45 properties with legal descriptions or would you draft 45 different contracts for each property....which is what a loan officer at an investor friendly title company advised me to do?

There is no accounting for what people will do with money, especially when they are uneducated on the subject.A good friend of mine sold his mother's 3b/2b house 22 years ago for $27k and left the money sitting in the bank because his brother, a Realtor, advised him to do so.

I advise anyone I talk with to do the same.

@Eli Hood Good morning, I have included a link to advise you on when you put a house under contract.

I've been involved in the vacation rental business for 20 years and have bought/sold seven of my own properties in the last ten.One word jumped out at me from your post - 'emotion' - and I'd advise removing that as much as possible from any buying decision when looking at purchase that involves a vacation rental goal.Of course, your own criteria comes into play because you want to use the place yourself, and you have experience with visiting the area, but you should also consider the needs, wants and desires of your potential guests.

Best advise I ever got in RE was to figure out the kind of people you want to deal with and then only buy property they will rent.

I was an investment adviser in a past life and saw this all the time.