Here some of my advice first Educate yourself Understand the local rental market trends, property values, and rental demand.

Do a thorough market research and consult with local real estate professionals.Good luck!

Talk to a local lender to know what you can afford.  2.Research how to do real estate transactions, get a good RE lawyer or find a good investment knowledgeable agent.

Just go to the local RE meets or forums in the city you want to buy, deals everywhere.

If you are good at self managing and know how to play the Airbnb/VRBO game with all the picture tricks, word gimmicks, amenities stuff and you are actively on their platforms, it seems to still be a viable market for the good investors. 

I went to a small local bank for the loan and it really wasn't' much harder than a convention loan.

I believe three top questions an investor can ask a PM company are; 1)  Is where my property located, an area you actively manage in, if yes how many ? 

That region will require some risk mitigation, and would be better suited for a local flipper specializing in those types of properties vs buy and hold OOS IMO. 

I don't have any local meetups but there are a lot of online groups.

I'd definitely double check and triple check your local/city regulations in regards to rentals, so there are no surprises as to what you can do legally.