And would agree Colorado leans towards landlord-friendly, while California is certianly tenant friendly.

Still not totally sure but definitely leaning that way, and though there are real estate degrees, I prefer a degree that will help me in all aspects of entrepreneurship vs only real estate.

Do you lean towards older homes that need fixing up?

But after a year I've made some choices (and had some things in place already) that have helped:have a few go-to handy men/women who can check out things and let you know just what's up; trustworthy people are probably the best thing you can haveselecting tenants who aren't 'helpless': I lean toward signing with tenants who aren't afraid to look under a sink or even make a small repair on their own if necessaryelectronic locks: these have gotten pretty affordable, and being able to give someone a code to enter a unit when a key isn't at hand is very useful.

If the Investor is relying on the crowdfunding site for the due diligence, they would be making a big mistake.My advice to anyone vetting a crowdfunding deal is to: 1: Ensure the Developer/Operator has significant skin in the deal, especially on an equity deal. 2: Ensure that the return calculations are accurate - are they conveniently excluding some fees or costs in the calculation; is the return expressed as an Annual return for a deal maturing less than a year?

I'm leaning towards the option of moving on with the marketing campaign and actively searching for a flip at the same time.

We used to lean toward always repairing or buying used, to spend the least amount possible in the short term.  

Having them PAY for things they damage through their negligence or other than normal wear and tear is one thing, although it is sometimes difficult to get them to admit they did the damage (I once had a tenant tell me her husband caused a hole in a wall by simply leaning against it "where the wall was thin"...huh????).

We are leaning towards Florida because I have an Uncle who invests in real estate in Florida and all my family lives in Florida.

For convenience the best one for you to check out is the Boston Area REIA in Medford.