I have been listening to The Real Estate Rookie and other BP shows for about a year.

Reach out if you want to discuss, I can get you connected with a great local investor friendly agent!

Yes I am, I have been a resident of the poconos going on 6 years, and have been an agent for 12.

I'm a newbie to real estate investing and am currently focused on intensely educating myself about all things real estate and how to get my first rental property deal.

PS I’m all for buying real estate , but we know that having a  job can be a blessing for many people starting out. 

Shares of single-family landlords Invitation Homes INVH -1.26%decrease; red down pointing triangle and American Homes 4 Rent AMH -1.65% decrease; are trading at 35% and 20% discounts to their net asset values, respectively, according to real-estate analytics firm Green Street. 

Quote from @Na Wilson: I have a source (depending on credit score) that can do a 90% LTV DSCR loan on non-owner occupied real estate. 

Since you're open to markets beyond NYC, you might want to connect with local investor meetups or REI groups in those areas to build relationships with agents, wholesalers, and lenders who understand the nuances of each market.If you're looking to break out of analysis paralysis, maybe start by narrowing down one or two target markets and running numbers on actual deals.

Are they just rubber-stamping or do they have real criteria?

But the reality is that unless you're a real estate professional or your property is a short term rental you won't benefit much each year.