After speaking with a few friends and realtors, I've been advised that the West End, East Atlanta Village, and East Lake areas hold great potential, particularly for higher rents and positive cash flow (>$2,800+).

Security deposits require separate handling - they should be placed in an interest-bearing account.3.

Find a property that the seller is willing to finance for you, take a mortgage over subject to, find some investors willing to put the money up on a great deal.I am confidant that you will figure it out. 

Does anyone have any good advice or resources on how to determine an expected vacancy rate for short or medium-term rentals in any given area?

DSCR loans are great for investors seeking rental properties that they want to cash flow upfront.

A good lease protects your interests, and being a good "B2B" landlord will serve them.

They offer bulk rates which can be useful if you're dealing with a sizable list.PropertyRadar: Apart from skip tracing, this platform offers a suite of tools for real estate professionals, especially for those in the western US.Tips on Other Types of Lists and Marketing to Homeowners:Driving for Dollars: This involves physically driving through neighborhoods, looking for distressed or vacant properties, and then noting the addresses to look up the owners later.Probate Lists: Properties in probate can sometimes be acquired below market value.

LTR or MTR so regardless of rent style you can go for the long, mid or short.Dayton, OH and Indianapolis, IN are two great cities that my California customers have found great 2-4 units over the last 2-3 years. 

Hi @Chris BrackshawNot sure what your REI journey has looked like up to this point but as you being your search trying to figure out what areas to look intoThis website is a great reference point for figuring out what each area is like. https://www.areavibes.com/It gives you a total LIVABILITY score for each street and zip code.

What would be a reasonable commission rate?