This is t necessarily the first discussion item but it definitely is at the top.Your deal size will help narrow down your search and learning process.  

I'm currently reading the Real Estate Rookie book by Ashley Kehr and I'm in the process of narrowing down a focused area to start-off in, so getting more in-depth information on rehabs would be awesome!

I think my plan will be to continue to seek OOS for my first deal but I think I’ll definitely need to continue narrowing down a specific part of Indiana as well as a team then can go from there.

Any advice on specific locations and/or a methodology for narrowing down the locations would be much appreciated!

For flips many of my investors have found success in some of the neighborhoods in South Philly (Point Breeze, Dickinson Narrows, EPX, Newbold, Girard Estates, Melrose, West Passyunk, Passyunk Square).

Properties below this range can work as well but oftentimes are smaller in lot size, have less total bedrooms, less amenities (i.e. parking, laundry, storage), have more deferred maintenance, and/or have tenants paying below market rent.Properties above 900K can also be a good fit but may require a larger down payment in order for the #s to make sense for you.I always recommend speaking with a lender during these early stages as they will help you narrow your target areas after you get down payment, monthly payment and closing cost estimates to go along with your pre-approval.For examples on house-hack deals that we've closed with other BP members in Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island, feel free to check out our team's page - https://www.biggerpockets.com/co/exp-realty-18.Best of luck to you moving forward!

There are many blogs and BiggerPockets YouTube videos explaining how to analyze property and you should be good enough to crunch the numbers and see if a market supports cash flow or not.Then I would narrow it down to specific communities with strong schools.

Start by narrowing down the market you would like to hold properties in, network with local investors (you are like the 5 people you often associate with) and get going.  

Maybe ask them once you've really narrowed it down to just a few properties.

I have made a fairly long list of towns that I plan to narrow down based off their openness to STRs.