First Time Investor - Charlotte NC Market Research

[Andrew Northcutt]

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of digging into the Charlotte, NC region for a buy and hold investment property, and I'm looking for someone to help point me in the right direction.

For some context, I will likely be pursuing SFH in the 200-350K range looking for primarily cash flow potential with hopefully rent growth over time and then appreciation as a secondary consideration. Using list source, I have identified zip codes with the highest amount of activity in the past year. However, many of these are not in the "better" neighborhoods of Charlotte and I'm able to find some (albeit only a few) in those neighborhoods that are in my expected price range. Obviously, some deals appear to better than others.

How should I think about balancing the high activity areas vs better neighborhoods? Should I just focus more on the individual deals rather than being in the best area?

[Jon Puente]

Hey Andrew, 

I actually work with Stephanie who commented above.  She is a true expert in this area so I would DM her for more info.  The reality is this:

1) Charlotte is a growing city regardless of what area you choose.  Obviously we do not want C or D class properties because those do not pan out well longterm.

2) It's hard to get both cashflow and appreciation, and so focusing on the outer skirts of Charlotte will yield the best results for both worlds. 

3) A lot of it depends on the financing too, so working with a broker who can show you options for financing will help as well. 

Hope this helps!