Invested $170k since 2021 and total return of barely over $5k, which includes $2700 left from the first property they sold end of 2023(orig investment of 25K). 

Obviously mounted up high in a readily visible spot "trail cams" work just as well (as a possible visual deterrent), very cheap online. 

Zip code 27801 has, according to this article Where N.C. mortgage holders are underwater on their home loans, a state-high 10.9% of home loans considered "seriously underwater", Q1 2024.

My partner and I are both on the higher end of tax bracket, anything we could do to help reduce the tax bill from these transaction? 

Plus, when done correctly, you as the KP can capture the ALL the Fed investment Tax Credits (ITC) plus the  State, MARCS, and Cost Seg Depreciation to massively offset your High W2 / 1099 Income - I wrote a book specifically for people like you and your wife to address your concerns. 

Since I’ve increased my deal flow to a significant degree, I find that this technique eliminates the wasted time and effort of dealing with people who aren’t highly motivated to close a transaction.  

- Are there certain areas you would stay away from and why (eg, high crime, bad schools, poor quality builds, etc)?

@Keivan Cross There are hundreds of wholesalers in this market, with varying levels of professionalism and experience (most of the crowd is on the lower end of that spectrum).

For my own portfolio diversification I want investments on the risk spectrum, some high risk, some medium risk, many low risk.  

Keep cash on hand and don't put yourself in a position where if your tenant needs a new roof or AC unit right now that you'll have to put it on a high interest credit card.Second, I realize that everybody's experiences are different and so is everybody's unique skill set.