I've also signed up for New Orleans REI meet ups in the upcoming weeks in hopes of making valuable connections in the local market. 

I drop them and use a competent local RE agent, who did a great job.   

If it is your first investment, highly recommend investing locally unless you have people you can trust in those out of state markets. 

There isn't much I can add here except for the local expertise of the Boise area and our sister company property management team get these inquires often from tenants - so we have seen many ways how not to inquire about it and a few good ways haha.

Look up local investors on social media and follow them and comment and like their posts so they get used to seeing your name.

Just started our own firm investing in and managing property in our relatively new (~5 years now) home in Charleston, SC.Happy to be a resource to anyone and look forward to making quality local connections!

However, especially if the investor is buying in an area they are not familiar with, they probably will not know the nuances of the local area. 

Investors who are active in gathering data on local trends while working with knowledgeable agents are able to pick neighbourhoods poised for growth and also comprehend how to best mitigate their risks as they prepare to maximize their return.Myth 3: Distressed Properties Are in Bad LocationsAnother misconception is that distressed properties only exist in bad neighborhoods.

Using a local real estate lawyer is useful and cheap.

Hi Jerrell,  The best option for trying to get a HELOC on a property would be to check with local credit unions.