Is it a reasonable plan to start calling property managers and realtors in the cities like Temple, Killeen, SA, San Marcos, etc. to ask their advice on high potential neighborhoods, types of homes that are desired by renters?

This is an A-/B+ neighborhood.

My wife and I took a chance in 2013 in buying a duplex as our first home in a not so good neighborhood in Vermont that has appreciated well.

They are starting a family and are now very scared about this neighborhood and their immediate neighbors.

We have an "entire place" SFH  3BR/1BA in a middle class neighborhood that rents out well through Airbnb. 

Our one property is south of Highland Street and not in a great neighborhood.

Louisville is still a red hot real estate market especially in the urban core but we've gotten to the point here the best neighborhoods have been gentrified and all the old housing stock has mostly flipped.

Any input, thoughts, experience and/or other musings on the CNY area, best (or worst) neighborhoods, financing or contacts would bring extra love from Santa in CA!

Which leads to my second point: here is a recipe for crashing and burning that everyone should be familiar with because it happened repeatedly in '08-'10. 1) Buy houses with 15% down in neighborhoods that have a lot of competition for rentals and would face downward pressure on rents in a bad economy; 2) hire property managers for about 10% of the take because the houses are more than you can handle personally, 3) make sure the cash flow is below $400 a month, and preferably right around $0; 4) have few assets in the bank or liquid; 5) wait for an economic crisis.Point being, you can be on too fast a track such that when the music stops, you have no place to sit.

Just look at the less desireable house in the best neighborhood and you cant go wrong.