We had a house burn down in a small town a couple of years ago and were paid the full value of the policy within a month. 

I am an out of town investor for all my properties and bought directly from the previous owners, so I have no local contacts in any of the cities.

Rinse and repeat that for a few months and pretty soon we were meeting with and learning from the guys who own half the town.

@Alex Tobias  For my last closed commercial loan, I paid:- $350 documentation fee (at closing)- $15 credit report fee- $25 flood determination fee- $150 recording fees to the town- $40 wire transfer fee.- $1,000 attorneys fees for closing.- no points / origination fees.  5.25%, 20 year amortization.- Existing relationship with the lender, who's a smaller local bank.

I'd highly recommend choosing a part of town that is fairly close to your residence as you'll be making a lot of trips. 

I want to explore to see which niche I enjoy.

If you need ask for a few referrances from his other out of town investers. 

While lists and records are efficient, driving around town is the only way you'll find U-Hauls parked out front!

Interesting strategy, I don't know the percentage, but if you have the list, I think it would be a good avenue to explore.

This facility is unique that it is in a resort town, 100% rented with a waiting list, not typically accessed on a daily basis.