Check those two lists against all of the lists and articles you have been reading to see where the closest crossover is.That is how you find a competitive advantage.If you build an out-of-state funnel with everyone you just met, you will not have a competitive advantage.Number 1 above gives you a personal, geographic advantage.

You could probably live for free, build equity, and save more for your next purchase!

But it is hard to invest from a distance. neighborhoods change very quickly here.

About / Members – Neighborhood Building Owner's Alliance (nboachicago.com)Another great spot to check out would be the Straight Up Chicago Investor's Podcast website which keeps an up-to-date list of meetups as well. 

Can you help me by pointing me to the neighborhoods or zip codes I should start with first?

It takes time to build up the reputation, even in a popular area like Sedona.Sedona does have a ton of STRs but it sees in the neighborhood of 5m visitors a year so I wouldn't worry too much.Getting on VRBO is a must IMHO.

I would also recommend building relationships with investors and RE Agents.

Sure, some wealth is created by saving taxes... but building wealth is priority #1.

Have you looked at new build incentives and renting by the room? 

Some base their decisions strictly on numbers and do not care about the area, while others are okay with a lower yield but focus on the city and even specific neighborhoods.