Hi everyone,I’m a novice investor and after doing some research I picked out Tampa as the place I wanted to invest.

@Joe Moore the lender will pick the appraiser from a list of their approved appraisers.

Presentation/staging is why people pick what they do...or at least for me! 

If you control both sides, you can pick the tenants that go in and the tenants that come out.

We should be in a downturn that would allow you pick up a property cheaper.

Pick up trash, clean ac condenser coils, check all cabinet pulls for tightness, lubricate door hinges and make sure security devices work properly.

From an insurance aspect, do you have a good insurance agent that you can pick their brain on if un-permitted work caused a fire, if insurance would still cover it?

I'm not implying that's a bad thing, but the problem (for them) is that when they ask in forums like this, or on the phone, the casual investor will tell them, "Gastonia, Kannapolis, Belmont, etc.." but, everything is certainly picked over, and the competition to get property in those exact areas is outrageous.

I am just trying to pick the brain of anyone who has more experience and ideas so that we have a plan for next year. 

I have thought several times over recent years how it would be nice to be able to pick up some property cheap, fix it up, and rent it out for a steady stream of income.