But, definitely spend the time to research this particular property and see if the numbers work including sale price, taxes, insurance, utilities (very important to know what the owner pays for and how much it averages per month) maintenance, vacancy, mortgage terms, etc.

This particular bank will do rental rehabs too.  

Hi I'm a newbie and I live here in the Athens GA area and I'm just jumping into the RE area trying to learn all that I can before I invest in a particular RE area.

I have a solid agent that I pay 2% on the sell side.There's also no way around paying buyer closing costs - in my market, and for this particular house, paying $3k-$5k in buyer assistance is something I've got to do. 

Are there property investors in Atlanta, Orlando, Houston, Omaha or Baltimore who can comment on if their particular market is a good one for rentals?  

It's a great way to create wealth for you and your partners.I assume that you have already obtained all the historical performance data from the seller, but if you have not, that is a good place to start to see how this property in particular has performed.  

Realtor.com will show you homes that have sold in a particular area and you can refine the search based on number of bedrooms, baths, etc.

I get the process about the contract/assigning of the home to you for a particular amount of time and looking for a buyer thereafter but there is more to it in the mix than that.

I guess what I am trying to do is understand the particular steps an investor takes when they first see what might be an opportunity.

Had I restricted myself to a particular discipline from the outset, however, or had I succumbed to the pressure and not spent a surviving in Mexico without any money or contacts, I wouldn't be where I am today.Several months ago, as I began my real estate education, I realized that I was in a unique situation, and needed to position myself best to fully capitalize.