I've invested here personally for 11 of my 19 total years investing and professionally assist 50+ investors in the area as an agent currently.

When I reflect on my personal investments, etc there is absolutely no way I could have gotten to where I'm at now if I didn't leverage my mechanical abilities to get myself through some of my first deals, etc.

My team mainly focuses on first time home buyers because there are a lot of people out there that do not know about down payment assistance or how much better buying is over renting.

Even then, its usually some assistant calling the does not know what Continent the property is located on.

Look in the lender directory here at BP for assistance. 

They advise clients about market conditions, conduct walkthroughs, and provide guidance and assistance through the process of buying, selling, or leasing properties.

Hiring an assistant has the best move I've ever made.

We did supplement investors rents or other costs where we feel we could have performed better as a company or even where we felt they had taken extraordinary steps of faith with our company (such as purchasing 5 or more properties) and we felt we could and needed to assist. 

You can expected rental rates to increase over time, however, connecting with a local realtor who is familiar with investment strategies should help put you in a better position of understanding of what areas will best fit your financials budget and long-term goals as well as possibly being connected to local contractors and financing assistance if you decide to pursue additional properties.Do not be detoured by neighborhoods directly - check out the comps and, since you're local, drive by the areas you're hearing the most about and see what is being done to increase appreciation.

So maybe some locals might be able to provide some assistance with who they use in this type of a scenario?