Am curious as to what people’s experience has been in the local market, and what is realistic for me to expect not being based there.Any advice, introductions, questions, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

Overall, I think Boom Town is an incredible resource for new agents because its not just for contact management, its a comprehensive solution for managing online presence as well.

Read the comprehension plan to understand what the area needs/wants in terms of development.

Estimates seem to be conservative and pro forma comprehensive.

@Tyler Matthews I agree with Sharen Tennant cloud is the most comprehensive free/paid platform I have seen.

I'm looking for introductions to Realtors, contractors and property managers in that market as well as advice on areas to be looking.  

Then we visited the location multiple times (mini vacations - ie: long weekends), and used friends of friends to get an introduction to a realtor, who helped with a lot of the boots on the ground stuff.

I realize this was a very long winded introduction...

Zachary, The state specific leases are available with pro membership here on BP; and fortunately they do address many issues you may encounter with a unhappy tenant departure and generally seem much more comprehensive-esp. for states that are very tenant friendly.  

The most comprehensive guide I've found is at https://www.therealestatecpa.com/guide-to-qualifying-as-a-real-estate-professional (no affiliation)