We decided to make another joint investments as it is something we really enjoy and colleague of mine already lives there. 

Aren't you better off staying in a deal that you got into 5-10 years ago having enjoyed that appreciation and looking forward to more strong appreciation?

Most agents will want you to have a pre-approval, but the fact that you are reaching out to loan officers to get it will be enough to get the ball rolling.These 2 are your core when finding a property, make sure you enjoy working with them and trust them. 

Others with a license in that field can jump in and provide feedback but that was the latest I had been given on the topic.  

In addition to searching online, I"d encourage you to start networking extensively with the local investors, and professionals that operate in the field, such as property managers, attorneys, contractors and etc.

I have been there a few times and really enjoyed the area. 

Then again, laws need teeth to be relevant don't they.Anywhos...on a personal note, I think your one of the good guys and I always enjoy your posts.

I enjoy flipping a couple houses at a time, but I don't want to turn it into a FT job. 

To make myself seem much less boring than it may seem, I do have some activities that I enjoy outside of browsing the BP forums and listening to podcasts on my Metro rides to and from work.

I enjoyed reading your story.