Welcome to the Charlotte region!

I currently work part-time at Pacific West Mortgage Fund in Torrance, CA as a business development officer.

I have relationships with many of the re there  and can connect you with some if you'd like so you can get their prospective as well.I cover the main island too and find that each region has its pros/cons depending on what one is looking for but I do feel that even with the current state the world is in, its a great time to consider investing here in some capacity.

Renovation cost are very specific to your region.

The area around the airport is a great place to be looking for rental properties, but keep in mind that Duplexes are not common in the Baltimore region (at least not duplexes where both units are on a single deed).  

I sell homes from Winston to Salem and coastal regions too.

Arizona and New Mexico would probably the more affordable states vs Pacific boarding..I have family in LA and they want me to buy there.

Generally smaller local banks are going to be a better bet for financing than larger regional or national lenders.

I agree this needs to be broken down by region, property type, coverage, etc. 

However the opportunity to build an expertise in a regional/niche real estate opportunity is greater and more likely for an individual investor, vs. building an expertise in investing in most any class sector or individual stock without insider info.