I’ve experienced a wide variety of permitting/City planning tar pits in my construction career.  

You mentioned a wide variety of interests - so my suggestion is to focus on one or two that really resonate with you and dive in.

City of San Diego has crazy upzoning but instead of isolating it to where the infrastructure can handle it (my preference), they do it city wide.  

So, your options now are wide open.

Tax expenses also vary widely by investor, and since NOI is specific to the property, not the person, do not include it.NOI equals all revenue from the property, minus all reasonably necessary operating expenses.

Brokers have access to a wide range of lenders and can often find specialized products that align with your needs.Remember, lending policies and products can change, so keeping an eye on the market and regularly reviewing your options is advisable.

Note that I'm not asking this question looking for an excuse to give up on my dreams of real estate investing before I even start - I just want to go into things with my eyes wide open and adjust my strategies if necessary.Thanks in advance for your input guys (and gals!)

If you expect to have a more dynamic need - say you'll be investing nation wide and will need to address State and Local Tax issues in a number of different jurisdictions, or you'll be buying a property in the Caribbean, or you want tax advice on your estate/trust/gift planning, or now you are hiring employees and you want to ensure you are getting help when it comes to tax considerations of your employee benefit plans, or whatever avenue you go - maybe a Regional firm or one specialized in real estate all over will be your best fit over the more mom and pop practitioner.I always disagree with needing to work with an accountant that invests. 

Now I try to keep my eyes wide open and look for opportunities whether it be real estate, stock market, or something else. 

We do have the rural issue, but I have some great cleaners and various service pro's who drive the hour one way out to the lake house.It is pretty much wide open where we are at.