Maybe don't say "I'm new to investing" instead say "Hey I'm new to investing in this particular market and I'm ready to build a presence here" That statement conveys a lot and it's not exactly a lie even if you have no other properties elsewhere.  

Santa Monica has an amazing downtown /promenade area right next to the beach, but its usually  crowded and there is a large transient presence. 

Failed city inspections, presence of lead in the garage, repairs not made.

Failed city inspections, presence of lead in the garage, repairs not made.

Eugene has a strong rental presence and buyer presence and there's no doubt if you have a good flip in that area that you wouldn't get attention be it for rent or sale. 

On the digital front - Yes, SEO is powerful and you should absolutely have a web presence and when you do, you should absolutely spend time and resources on your SEO.

I usually suggest to my clients that they use their web presence as a way to legitimize/brand their business rather than drive leads.

Do they have a big presence on this site and show up to the Bigger Pocket meetups? 

Major companies are flooding our market (Google, Facebook) and large companies like Chase and Huntington have major presences as well.

If you are purchasing with credit, the bank is not likely to lend you money for the turn-key premium.So, they aren't so much asking you to ignore the appraised value, rather are being up-front and transparent about the presence of the premium.