Hello Doug, I am not a real estate attorney nor is this legal advice.Unless someone's state has specific laws banning contract assignments you should be fine doing the following.  

Most PMs, especially the well established ones, will not always flex for specific clients like this but it could be an option.hope this helps.

In many cases bigger banks or lenders have specific programs that cater to first time home buyers and investors. 

What specifically are you looking for in terms of investing? 

Are there specific market indicators or property traits I should be paying attention to?

Assumed nothing could possibly go wrong in the next 5 years what you want when you look at an investment property is to know the current rental amounts, specific expense items, and conditions of the building, grounds, and mechanical systems.  

NYC apartments will have a different car requirement from Orlando, but he used that methodology in this specific small city and was an investor from the 1980s-2000s, so a lot has changed, but I believe there is still some truth to it.

If I ever have specific questions, I look through google and then use the BP forums as another source.

Specifically, short-term rentals can help you get REPS status.

Paid platforms often offer additional features like market analytics, off-market property leads, and filters for investor-specific criteria, giving them a leg up over free options.Exactly, most platforms have to offset cost somewhere because of how expensive it is to keep the data up to date.