I hesitate to invest in Decatur because my (Decatur based) realtor tells me there isn't a reputable property management firm there, and that the rental market, while hot, is fraught with many renters who are unable to pay their rents on time and frequent evictions.  

Hello Raf,I see @Patti Robertson who is a local property manager with a management company called PMI post about Section 8 frequently. 

Change the batteries frequently but also have an onsite lock box with the key in it.

The easiest way to discern a good PM company from a bad PM company is to have conversations with other investors in the area, especially the ones who frequent the REIA's.

Hi Becky, being in DFW you benefit because it’s a populated area where people are frequently moving to and from for various reasons.

Hey Daniel, I work with house hackers in Houston frequently.

Be prepared for more frequent repairs. 

I'm not a hard money lender but I use hard money quite frequently on my own acquisitions.  

I work for a private nationwide lender that does deals in Columbus frequently.

One of my borrowers is a frequent investor of STRs in Columbus, OH.