The ones that fit the bill in my opinion are Oklahoma City and Birmingham / Huntsville (AL cities).

Quote from @Kareem Al-mufti: If you are the type of person who likes organization and structure, you may consider getting a job in the industry first.

@Dominick DiFilippo So, back in the day, around 2012 to 2015, I started buying rental properties remotely in Alabama, Indianapolis, and Atlanta.

I am not sure about Alabama, but I know even Florida's inventory has slowed.

If you are open to investing in a coastal short term rental, I would highly recommend checking out the gulf coast of AL and FL.

FYI - I would be looking in Huntsville AL for rentals. 

Spartan Invest is an excellent turn key provider in AL and I know some in most southern and midwestern states if you want any direct referrals.

In a number crunch of 300 cities using 10 metrics ranging from home prices to tax rates to vacancy levels, WalletHub determined that Montgomery, Alabama, was the nation’s most affordable city for homebuyers.

Hi Al- Look what apartments are going for on Zillow, Realtor, MLS, and Facebook marketplace.

I currently focus on investments, with a few partners (met here, through BP), in Huntsville, AL.