He's an investor and broker in the capital region and has a lot of insight to offer. 

My goal is to offer a safe rental, with good comprehensive coverage so I don't leave my home vulnerable.

When you dive into it, there are a lot of nuances.First, there are subsections of retail: single tenant NNN, small unanchored neighborhood, grocery anchored, shadow anchored, power centers, regional malls, lifestyle centers, etc.Then you get into tenant mix and market specifics. 

Participate in regional seminars, networking events, and real estate meetings to broaden your contacts and make connections with possible private lenders.Present a Strong Investment Opportunity: Have a strong investment opportunity ready to offer to private lenders.

Merchants Bank MN See Pavel UshakovPenFed - max 3 other properties, 89% LTV Regions- yes HELOC but no LOC SCCU Florida 70% LTV, 6.25% interest only, not LLC Sound CU "non-owner occupied HELOC, capped at $150K and interest rates are prime + 2%, 3% or 4%, based on credit, not to exceed 70% ltv.”S&TTCF BankTD Bank TIAA Direct was EverBank Tower FCU, all states except TX, max 45 DTI, green card ok.

Open to all counties in fl excluding the panhandle region. 

Cities and regions experiencing economic expansion tend to attract more renters and offer better long-term investment potential.

You're likely to get the best terms at a local or regional bank that keeps their paper and services their debt themselves.  

STRInsights is slightly superior to Airdna when comparing markets on a national or regional level.

I would reach out to regional pre-fab operators and see if you can locate some of their product.