I am confident that over the coming month or so, that cost per deal number is going to go down due to closing another deal or two from my first months of marketing and so on.Cheers!

However, I am not confident if Hamilton might be the most optimal market for us.

Education breeds confidence.

If you know the market intimately and are confident in the true market value of the specific properties themselves this may not affect you per se, but if there’s any question on pricing, it would benefit you to work with a local expert to establish fair market value with a CMA and also getting an appraisal done (if you’re working with a lender they will require this anyway).

My confidence of easily renting it out at the end of expiry at the current entry price to maintain the same NOI is not high should tenant not renew. 

I've been told by a rental attorney in California that I'd have to have my broker's license or work with someone who does because with this model I'd be acting as a broker, but he didn't seem confident in his answer.

I can confidently recommend Stephenson Property Group and Cantey Company for properties in Irmo.  

@David JamesUse confident and cross referenced math to overcome fear.

Keep researching the pit falls and decide with confidence and you will do great!

There's so much to learn about real estate in general, that I think the initial learning is really done best in our own back yard, and then once you feel your learning is tapering off, and feel reasonably confident about being able to buy a decent investment in your local area, then I'd say at that point it would possible be OK to branch out to other areas - if you're willing to put the time, money and energy into becoming familiar with those markets.I hope this helps, and as I said, lots of people have different opinions on this topic.