Because I’ve been focusing on 3 bd ranch’s style homes, it *looks* as though they rent closer to 1000-1050 in Gastonia as opposed to 1200ish in charlotte.

I wouldn't focus the money on SEO or paying for leads. 

I'm putting a substantial  amount of money down, so my deal looks good with respect to LTV and DSR, two things they look at. (1031 exchange, and I am more focused on net income after debt service as opposed to maximum leverage.)  

Since the insurance business is a great a residual income source my goal is to be able to set the right systems and people in place so I can step away from the insurance business by 2026 and focus 100% on real estate investing.  

It's the investors that want to focus on the WHY of every situation that loose their minds.Guys, nobody can tell you WHY these people do what they do.

That's where I'm putting my focus.

My focus is neighborhoods with a high density of households making $75K to $100K. 

Right now I think I will hold off in Columbus area and try to focus on Northern OH.

Note buyer can literally decide in a few minutes if they want a note or note.. and the notes are constant they are always in inventory .. no hunting and needing deep contacts like the secondary market. for NPN or big note tapes.. that get sliced and diced.So once you figure out what space you want to go in.. then you can narrow down your focus..

(I think, this stuff all just changed and I'm not a CPA)There are several real estate-focused CPAs on this site if you're looking for a new one.