I've gone through some of the basics and determined that I'd like to start investing into a single-family home to buy & hold.

Assuming, one has picked a market/sub-market (based off market research criteria), the critical factor, for us, becomes exit cap rate. 

Determine how fast you want your money to grow and the time you want to hold your money in the investment (break even in years), relative to the risk of each.

However, having never been there myself, I'm hoping that some local folks would be willing to help me determine what class of neighborhood it is.

You should talk to a loan officer to determine eligibility.

Hello !I am currently looking at my first real estate investment property (woo woo!) Im looking to do a live in flip/house hack. Home is in great condition just needs some updating of appliances and tile floors which ...

Lien priority is determined by state law and it is best to have the title reviewed by a professional to see what encumbrances may exist on the property. 

That being said, it could make more sense to you to buy for low to moderate cash flow but strong appreciation, versus the other way around.If you want buy and hold rentals, I’m hoping your idea isn’t to tie up all your cash in ONE property, but rather to get your own traditional investment loan or creative financing from sellers.Another consideration is many speculate we could be nearing the top of a real estate market cycle, with a dip in home values expected when you could pick up some better deals.

Franks, I'd love to buy you a coffee some time and pick your brain for just a few minutes!  

How did you pick the strategy that works for you?