Assess which criteria are "core", i.e. which might be used for initially coming up with possible options, which are important later on for narrowing down your options and which are really optional/nice to haves.I suppose there is some dependence on strategy here.

Just wanted an insight from you Clever  professional are there sites that helps to narrow down by street within a submarket or region to help gauge where to buy and also site which can give some climate indication for the  market cycle for the region. 

Next steps would 1) be narrowing down your focus for areas you want to invest (in a general level, B grade neighborhood, etc. and more specifically, cities or neighborhoods where you want to target deals) and 2) Finding your team (agents, property managers, maintenance and renovation contractors, lawyers / CPAs / etc).Attending BP meetups or other investor associations meetups is a great way to find these people.

Narrow it down so you are not all over the place. 

I would feel much more comfortable investing in something near my home rather than trying to manage it remotely, but it seems like there are an overwhelming number of places to research, so I need to narrow it down to a more specific region nearby.

There are so many things to learn about each specific strategy so I would definitely narrow your interest level - at least in the beginning stages. 

Rehab and rent - again doesn't make sense as $600 is top end for rent which could be OK but your pool of renters is very narrow. 3.

Even if it's long-distance, they will have forums and online resources where you can get a good overview of different areas the way investors see them.I echo the statements of others in saying that you should look at comps in getting a feel for what areas are valued at, however I can also see your conundrum in that you need a birds-eye view to start and then narrow down areas.My biggest suggestion would be to look at the Redfin blog and then Data Center on Redfin.

The market is especially hot here in Boise, but I know there are always deals out there.I am interested in the BRRRR strategy, as well as flipping, but I am hoping to gain some narrowed insight on what strategy and niche would be best to start out with given my circumstances.

You'll likely need to narrow your focus to get the help you're wanting.