Just in case you are still looking or might need to in the future, I can highly recommend two contractors I've known for years- one has been a family friend for 30+ years named James Barnett; he has done many projects on my family home; and the other is a friend of 8+ years named Adrian Jorge.  

Sometimes a tenant will play your friend in order to avoid a rent increase.

I have several lawyer friends and they all said gary.

Anyone near me could give me some investor friendly realtor or broker referrals!!

Yes, the cash expended is a little more than people that enjoy leveraging would suggest, but for me its a what allows me to sleep at night.I have also set up Lines of credit against a few buildings that are fully paid off in the event that I need to tap the equity in the future.

Price / Rent Ratio - lower the better Avg Median Income - feeds into #2, not as important on its ownAvg Median Price - feeds into #2, not as important on its ownAvg Median Rent - feeds into #2, not as important on its ownRent % of Income - rent should be >1/3 of incomeSociodemographic Rank - should be high (used this article)Population Growth - should outpace US average (used this site)Jobs Growth - highger the better (used Forbes data: example)Law Favorability - should be landlord-friendly (used Avail: example)State Tax Favorability - should be favorable (used this article)Poverty Level - should be low (used city-data.com)Crime - should be below US average of 290 (used city-data.com)Industries Present - should be diverse (used city-data.com) Here are the markets I evaluated: Bend, ORGreenville, SCCharlotte, NCMeridian, IDMidland, TXSpartanburg, SCHuntsville, ALKent, WAWithout any further delay, here is my market analysis laid out with selection criteria and markets: As you can see, the Top 2 Markets are: Meridian, IDCharlotte, NCand they are mostly green across the board, hitting all selection criteria, at a reasonable purchase price for my first investment at a young age.Now that I've completed a brief analysis, I'm looking to dive into deal finding and developing my Core 4.What are your thoughts on my preliminary market analysis?

Hello BP Members,Financing is lined up, so I'm looking to expand my team of professionals.As listed, I need wholesalers, contractors, and investor friendly RE Agents alike in the following areas.SarasotaBradentonSaint PetersburgTampaPossibly other surrounding areas, but the ones above are my immediate focus.Thank you for reading, and I look forward to speaking with you.

Please click on the links, give them a read, and share your thoughts in the comments.First is a post that I feel will help not get overwhelmed with the amount of info that is here on BP:https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52761-the-simple-guide-to-getting-started-on-bp The second is a post that will help get you focused with your real estate investing goals:https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52743-im-new-to-bp-any-advice-would-be-appriciatedThe last one is a post that will help you choose an “investor friendly” real estate agent.

Recently a few friends have suggested that I invest some money into the basics such as new plumbing and some cosmetic work so that I can at least market it for a higher price, however, I am hesitant to do this as I am not sure if anyone will buy once the updates are completed.

They total upto $1.5 million of rental assets.How do I do asset protection against any lawsuits, especially in a tenant-friendly state like California.Actions Taken:- I have broken them down to 2 LLCs (3 properties in one LLC, and 2 in another).- I have Umbrella policy of $2 million.Ideally, I'd like to have 1 LLC per property but California LLC are one of the most expensive in the country.Can really use your help and inputs!