I would prefer to invest locally, but as you point out, it's so hard to establish that initial cash flow.

As everyone knows, investing locally in Colorado (especially Denver) is proving difficult, even for experienced investors, so unfortunately I've realized I may need to invest elsewhere.

I also live about 20 minutes from the property so i would be local. 

I own a small house in Arkansas that I rent out primarily to nurses (intermediate-term rental) and have a construction company that is doing a local project and wants to house one of their crews in the house for 3 months. 

I would search for a local attorney for assistance/guidance.

Let's gather here to talk about local market.

But remember, the rules about living in a duplex depend on the kind of loan you have.Talk to a local St.

Definitely worth a deep dive into the local market.Ownership changes?

One way of approaching this is to ask experienced local realtors (maybe both residential and commercial) and see what their opinions are.

Search for the National REIA and that site will list all the local REIAs.