First Post: Overwhelmed and can&#x27;t figure out where to invest

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/1144300-turno...

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Nicholas L.:

@Jennifer Cramer

pick an area where you can spend time in-person.

if you can go to Atlanta every weekend to set up your team there and look at properties, great. but if you can't, pick an area in NJ or CT or PA that is within driving distance - maybe 2 hours or less from where you live?

there is just no substitute for being hands-on. and it's going to take some work. in your chosen area, if you're in-person, you can go to REIA meetings and network, look at as many properties as you like in-person, meet other investors, meet agents, meet property managers, talk to contractors, make offers, get feedback, etc.

it is not possible right now to push Internet button, buy random property in a place you've never been, hire random people you have never met, and get the best outcome. see this thread. don't do this.

Thank you! Great advice though I admit that buying in my immediate area is not as appealing due to the cost but maybe there are deals out there. Atlanta is a place that I go to fairly often and I do have connections because of my old job, Based on what you're telling me, I should lean into those locations? I do wonder how others out of state investors are able to make it work from a distance

2 Reply

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Gustavo Delgado:

try to stay as close to home as possible so you can actually go see the properties and meet the team you assemble.

Thank you for the response. You and Nicholas L have similar advice. Curious if looking local is more of a strategy for beginners as I keep reading posts and seeing videos of people investing outside of where they live. Either way, appreciate the advice.

Chris SeveneyBusiness Member

Moderator

Investor · VA · Member since 2015 · 21k+ posts · 19k+ votes

2y

@Jennifer Cramer

This is a great question and this is very common when getting started. I love the fact that you set your target budget, down payment etc. While you mention you don’t care if you make money you don’t want to lose, as an investor a goal should be to make money. Of course the education you will obtain from your first rental will be worth the price of admission.

As it relates to areas, I think you need to visit the area where you want to invest. I would say out of the options you chose, I would not do Maine. The reason being is your costs are not as easily controlled. You may have to cover utilities which can be super high depending on the winter as well as snow removal etc.

I would look toward an area that is desirable. For east coast areas, parts of Virginia, Maryland, both Carolina’s and Georgia should be looked at.

Lastly make sure to do a thorough job of interviewing the property manager

I would also not rule out parts of Alabama

I was at a conference recently and met with some people from spartan invest who do turnkey rentals. They also manage. A company like that, that is reputable could be considered too

7e investments53 Reviews

5 Reply

Alecia LovelessPro Member

Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes

2y

@Jennifer Cramer I am from NH but my spouse has family in upstate New York. We frequently discuss the possibility of buying a small multi family close to the family for the convenience of keeping one unit for ourselves to stay in while we visit the family.

Then I see the posts about how terrible New York is towards landlords and how difficult it is to evict tenants and how much red tape there is when it comes to things like permits and I am reminded that I will NOT be investing in New York.

Just my $0.02 worth.

5 Reply

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Chris Seveney:

@Jennifer Cramer

This is a great question and this is very common when getting started. I love the fact that you set your target budget, down payment etc. While you mention you don’t care if you make money you don’t want to lose, as an investor a goal should be to make money. Of course the education you will obtain from your first rental will be worth the price of admission.

As it relates to areas, I think you need to visit the area where you want to invest. I would say out of the options you chose, I would not do Maine. The reason being is your costs are not as easily controlled. You may have to cover utilities which can be super high depending on the winter as well as snow removal etc.

I would look toward an area that is desirable. For east coast areas, parts of Virginia, Maryland, both Carolina’s and Georgia should be looked at.

Lastly make sure to do a thorough job of interviewing the property manager

I would also not rule out parts of Alabama

I was at a conference recently and met with some people from spartan invest who do turnkey rentals. They also manage. A company like that, that is reputable could be considered too

@Chris Seveney

Thank you so much for the valuable advice! I didn't even consider outlying factors like snow removal in my calculations! I will add Alabama to the list of places I'm considering in the East Coast. Right now, I'm focused on finding 2-3 areas to research extensively and then finding a realtor as the first of my core 4. Funny you mention "turnkey rentals". It's something I hadn't thought about but willing to explore given my limited time and expertise. It might actually be the best option for my first property. Will start searching the forums for past threads on this topic. Thank you!

2 Reply

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Alecia Loveless:

@Jennifer Cramer I am from NH but my spouse has family in upstate New York. We frequently discuss the possibility of buying a small multi family close to the family for the convenience of keeping one unit for ourselves to stay in while we visit the family.

Then I see the posts about how terrible New York is towards landlords and how difficult it is to evict tenants and how much red tape there is when it comes to things like permits and I am reminded that I will NOT be investing in New York.

Just my $0.02 worth.

YES!!!! Exactly - the laws in NY do not favor landlords AT ALL which is part of the reason I'm hesitating (the other reason is the $). For example, I had considered buying a place near my son's college town (Binghamton) to rent to students and I heard nightmare stories about how the town changed it's zoning laws and now only houses in certain areas can be rented to students etc ect.

Rick Albert

Real Estate Agent · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

2y

The reality is you can make it work almost anywhere in the world, you just need to understand it.

Here are a few things I looked at before investing out of state:

1. Landlord Friendly (otherwise I will stick with Los Angeles since I know it so well)

2. Population over 100K (I want a tenant pool)

3. People are moving there (check out howmoneywalks.com)

4. Price point

Everyone is going to have a different opinion and you will likely get a lot of Realtors saying why their market is best (because they want the commission).

17 Reply

Nicholas L.Pro Member

Flipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes

2y

@Jennifer Cramer

"buying in my immediate area is not as appealing due to the cost but maybe there are deals out there"

that was part of my point - expand your "immediate area" to include markets in PA and CT.

"I do wonder how others out of state investors are able to make it work from a distance"

they have teams and networks in place.

Podcast Guest on Show #222

Jay HinrichsBusiness Member

Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes

2y

check out Allentown Bethlehem area. @Mark Gallagher is a rock star agent there and I think 300k gets you a pretty nice place in a nice part of town all within easy driving distance of NYC.

if your going far afield and have to fly then I like Vegas.

for these reasons.

1. weather No winter issues at all.

2. stucco houses tile roofs easy maintenance

3. huge renter pool billions upon billions of new construction.

4. landlord friendly

5. some of the lowest property tax's in the US this gives much higher purchasing power for the same rental income as cheaper areas with higher prop taxs.

6. easy to get to and fun things to do when your there.

JLH Capital Partners51 Review

[email protected]859-443-4952

8 Reply

Jordan Tinning

Rental Property Investor · Mukilteo, WA · Member since 2017 · 52 posts · 53 votes

2y

@Jennifer Cramer if you are working full time, and travel a lot start with an LTR. MTRs are way more work. Even with a property manager. Start slow, see how you like it and then build form there.

Don’t do what I did, which was buy a lot all at once and try to learn while working. It but me in the butt. I’m good now, but wouldn’t recommend newbies taking on too much, especially if you’re a still working.

Hope that helps and good luck!

3 Reply

Doug SmithPro Member

Lender · Tampa, FL · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes

2y

Very interesting and good post. I started sort of backwards. I started out over 30 years ago in consumer finance and mortgage before moving to FL in 1996. I jumped to banking, then private client banking, and then commercial banking, so I had a massive lending background going in. We originally started this company not as a lender (except for commercial bridge loans), but as a fund that purchased severely delinquent real estate loans backed by commercial real estate and deep discounts from the collateral value during the last crash. We eventually split the companies in two...one a lender and one a real estate and loan buyer. With the lender, it was easy to go all over the country for commercial (primarily real estate investor) loans, but we found that sticking close to home, or at least having great boots on the ground that we trust, was the only want to do the real estate rehabbing and construction side of the business. Many have been successful doing absentee investments...we've just done better sticking to Central Florida. Regarding the areas, I've always struggled with NYC due to the high prices and the fact that attorneys really drag out the process and run up the bill. I know nothing about Maine other than making a few loans there, but we have done a lot in NC and, most recently, the resort areas of NE GA (Blue Ridge Mountain area). For your questions in the last paragraph, we did try the midwest, but found we did better when we could pop into the project at any time. We had a couple of nightmares in different parts of Indiana that drove us to stick to where we had great boots on the ground. Who did we talk to? I had been a banker in Central FL for many years when we started, so I had the finaning part down (we financed and still do finance other investors) and I had already built a great network of closing agents, contractors, attorneys, etc through my banking work. Most were previous clients I had developed a relationship with. As far as other areas, Florida still has no income taxes and we have a strong positive net migration. Inventory is incredibly low here, so it's ripe for those that wish to build more affordable-type housing. If the inventory isn't there, you can always built it! Let me know if you have questions or need help. Good luck!

3 Reply

Sandra Morrison

Investor · Cincinnati/Fort Thomas, KY · Member since 2015 · 207 posts · 183 votes

2y

@Jennifer Cramer

Definitely wherever you end up-if you choose a place where you don't (or even if you do) have connections- join the local REIA. They always have recommended contractors and other vendors.

If you travel too much, Columbus and Cincinnati ones are completely online so great way to get education for any strategy and recommendations (plus they have an online women’s investing group that I volunteer with hosting responsibilities ;-)

The hard part is getting a good team. Until you get one, it is nice to be able to pop in. I invest in Ohio, Kentucky and Florida and definitely lean on my boots on the ground in each state.

7 Reply

Sam McCormackBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Cincinnati, OH/NKY · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 833 votes

2y

Quote from @Jennifer Cramer:

I'm a new member and this is my first post so please go easy on me! I'm interested in investing in my first LTR or MTR. I have a full-time job in NYC and travel excessively for work so I will need a property manager. My goal is geared towards long-term wealth and eventually reaching a point where I don't have to work as hard because I'll have passive income to offset some of the income I will lose when I "take my foot off the gas". I am not interested in house hacking as my plan is more centered around Buying and Holding.

The idea is to start in one area, build my team and then purchase my first property. Eventually, I hope to build my rental property portfolio in the area I choose. Initial budget is small, up to 300K with 25% down for the first property. Looking for Class A/B areas. I don't really care about making a profit off the monthly rent in the short-term (though it will be nice!), I just want to build equity and not "lose" money. Right now, I can't even narrow it down by state, much less city!!! Here are my options:

1) Georgia - my old company was headquartered in ATL so I know the area well and have friends in the surrounding areas. Hower, it seems really over saturated so not sure if I should still look there

2) NC - I'm drawn to this state but am not as familiar with the cities. Looked at the Wilmington area but open to any suggestions

3) NY - upstate, NYC or even far out in LI (mastic Beach?). It's my home state but property and taxes are so expensive outside of the city and in NYC you're dealing with maintenance fees, boards etc. I just think my money will go further elsewhere

3) Maine - I'm drawn here because eventually I want a second home in this state but this is my heart talking, not my brain

My question is, how did you go about deciding where you to invest? What resources did you use? Who did you talk to initially? Does anyone have feedback on any of the areas I listed above? Are there other areas I should consider? I realize this is incredibly broad, so I apologize but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Once I narrow it down, I feel like I will move but right now I'm stuck. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking forward to learning from all of you.

Try Greater Cincinnati! If you like, we can just schedule a call and talk about what is your. 300k is more than enough to get a good 2-4 unit in a good area, that is (on paper) going to cash flow! And not just Cincinnati, Northern Ky as well. Growing area, more jobs, growing community, a few colleges, and good sports teams. Let me know, we can hop on a call and talk about what this area has to offer!

Sam McCormack Realtor

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3 Reply

Matt W.

Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 157 posts · 83 votes

2y

Quote from @Jennifer Cramer:

I'm a new member and this is my first post so please go easy on me! I'm interested in investing in my first LTR or MTR. I have a full-time job in NYC and travel excessively for work so I will need a property manager. My goal is geared towards long-term wealth and eventually reaching a point where I don't have to work as hard because I'll have passive income to offset some of the income I will lose when I "take my foot off the gas". I am not interested in house hacking as my plan is more centered around Buying and Holding.

The idea is to start in one area, build my team and then purchase my first property. Eventually, I hope to build my rental property portfolio in the area I choose. Initial budget is small, up to 300K with 25% down for the first property. Looking for Class A/B areas. I don't really care about making a profit off the monthly rent in the short-term (though it will be nice!), I just want to build equity and not "lose" money. Right now, I can't even narrow it down by state, much less city!!! Here are my options:

1) Georgia - my old company was headquartered in ATL so I know the area well and have friends in the surrounding areas. Hower, it seems really over saturated so not sure if I should still look there

2) NC - I'm drawn to this state but am not as familiar with the cities. Looked at the Wilmington area but open to any suggestions

3) NY - upstate, NYC or even far out in LI (mastic Beach?). It's my home state but property and taxes are so expensive outside of the city and in NYC you're dealing with maintenance fees, boards etc. I just think my money will go further elsewhere

3) Maine - I'm drawn here because eventually I want a second home in this state but this is my heart talking, not my brain

My question is, how did you go about deciding where you to invest? What resources did you use? Who did you talk to initially? Does anyone have feedback on any of the areas I listed above? Are there other areas I should consider? I realize this is incredibly broad, so I apologize but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Once I narrow it down, I feel like I will move but right now I'm stuck. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking forward to learning from all of you.

Wilmington, NC has exploded in the last 10 years. I don't think it's possible to get a class A or B for under $300k. There are plenty of cookie cutter neighborhoods that are B- that make great rentals, but it's pretty hard to cash flow them with current rates even managing yourself. I own several rentals and flip here and competition for any deal is fierce!

I actually have a furnished rental for sale that would be a good Airbnb or mid term/nurse rental. (Short term is too involved for me, I've discovered)

PM me if you'd like to know more!

1 Reply

Jimmy LieuBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes

2y

Quote from @Jennifer Cramer:

I'm a new member and this is my first post so please go easy on me! I'm interested in investing in my first LTR or MTR. I have a full-time job in NYC and travel excessively for work so I will need a property manager. My goal is geared towards long-term wealth and eventually reaching a point where I don't have to work as hard because I'll have passive income to offset some of the income I will lose when I "take my foot off the gas". I am not interested in house hacking as my plan is more centered around Buying and Holding.

The idea is to start in one area, build my team and then purchase my first property. Eventually, I hope to build my rental property portfolio in the area I choose. Initial budget is small, up to 300K with 25% down for the first property. Looking for Class A/B areas. I don't really care about making a profit off the monthly rent in the short-term (though it will be nice!), I just want to build equity and not "lose" money. Right now, I can't even narrow it down by state, much less city!!! Here are my options:

1) Georgia - my old company was headquartered in ATL so I know the area well and have friends in the surrounding areas. Hower, it seems really over saturated so not sure if I should still look there

2) NC - I'm drawn to this state but am not as familiar with the cities. Looked at the Wilmington area but open to any suggestions

3) NY - upstate, NYC or even far out in LI (mastic Beach?). It's my home state but property and taxes are so expensive outside of the city and in NYC you're dealing with maintenance fees, boards etc. I just think my money will go further elsewhere

3) Maine - I'm drawn here because eventually I want a second home in this state but this is my heart talking, not my brain

My question is, how did you go about deciding where you to invest? What resources did you use? Who did you talk to initially? Does anyone have feedback on any of the areas I listed above? Are there other areas I should consider? I realize this is incredibly broad, so I apologize but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Once I narrow it down, I feel like I will move but right now I'm stuck. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking forward to learning from all of you.

Hi Jennifer, I'd recommend that you look into Columbus Ohio and as someone who works with a lot of out of state investors - there's so many catalysts for why you should invest here. Specifically, there's job growth (Intel, Honda, Amazon, Nationwide, etc) and the population is growing (unlike Cleveland or Cincy). I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years. Plus, there's still so many positive cash flowing and 1% deals here in Columbus Ohio. As a local investor and agent here in Columbus, let me know if you have any questions or want to connect!

[email protected]614-300-7535

Jimmy Lieu, Red 1 Realty4.9120 Reviews

4 Reply

James WilcoxBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Bowling Green KY ~ Lexington, KY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 602 votes

2y

Quote from @Jennifer Cramer:

I'm a new member and this is my first post so please go easy on me! I'm interested in investing in my first LTR or MTR. I have a full-time job in NYC and travel excessively for work so I will need a property manager. My goal is geared towards long-term wealth and eventually reaching a point where I don't have to work as hard because I'll have passive income to offset some of the income I will lose when I "take my foot off the gas". I am not interested in house hacking as my plan is more centered around Buying and Holding.

The idea is to start in one area, build my team and then purchase my first property. Eventually, I hope to build my rental property portfolio in the area I choose. Initial budget is small, up to 300K with 25% down for the first property. Looking for Class A/B areas. I don't really care about making a profit off the monthly rent in the short-term (though it will be nice!), I just want to build equity and not "lose" money. Right now, I can't even narrow it down by state, much less city!!! Here are my options:

1) Georgia - my old company was headquartered in ATL so I know the area well and have friends in the surrounding areas. Hower, it seems really over saturated so not sure if I should still look there

2) NC - I'm drawn to this state but am not as familiar with the cities. Looked at the Wilmington area but open to any suggestions

3) NY - upstate, NYC or even far out in LI (mastic Beach?). It's my home state but property and taxes are so expensive outside of the city and in NYC you're dealing with maintenance fees, boards etc. I just think my money will go further elsewhere

3) Maine - I'm drawn here because eventually I want a second home in this state but this is my heart talking, not my brain

My question is, how did you go about deciding where you to invest? What resources did you use? Who did you talk to initially? Does anyone have feedback on any of the areas I listed above? Are there other areas I should consider? I realize this is incredibly broad, so I apologize but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Once I narrow it down, I feel like I will move but right now I'm stuck. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking forward to learning from all of you.

@Jennifer Cramer just keep in mind the importance of proceeding at your own pace and approaching it step by step. It can be quite daunting to consider the entire country and select a specific market, but it's wise to choose the market that aligns most closely with your objectives and where you can assemble the most effective team. Based on the states you've already considered – North Carolina and Georgia – they seem to be the best choices for your price range in comparison to Maine or New York. I would also suggest considering Kentucky, as other members of the BP community have already recommended. Additionally, you might explore Ohio, southern Indiana, Tennessee, and northern Alabama. If you have any questions about Kentucky, feel free to reach out to me via direct message, and I'd be delighted to assist you.

REI James w/ eXp Realty54 Reviews

1 Reply

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Rick Albert:

The reality is you can make it work almost anywhere in the world, you just need to understand it.

Here are a few things I looked at before investing out of state:

1. Landlord Friendly (otherwise I will stick with Los Angeles since I know it so well)

2. Population over 100K (I want a tenant pool)

3. People are moving there (check out howmoneywalks.com)

4. Price point

Everyone is going to have a different opinion and you will likely get a lot of Realtors saying why their market is best (because they want the commission).

Thank you! Great advice with #1 being my biggest concern!

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Nicholas L.:

@Jennifer Cramer

"buying in my immediate area is not as appealing due to the cost but maybe there are deals out there"

that was part of my point - expand your "immediate area" to include markets in PA and CT.

"I do wonder how others out of state investors are able to make it work from a distance"

they have teams and networks in place.

Thank you again. Based on your advice, did a little search on CT> I need to research the landlord/tenant laws but CT is super close and can be a viable option

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Doug Smith:

Very interesting and good post. I started sort of backwards. I started out over 30 years ago in consumer finance and mortgage before moving to FL in 1996. I jumped to banking, then private client banking, and then commercial banking, so I had a massive lending background going in. We originally started this company not as a lender (except for commercial bridge loans), but as a fund that purchased severely delinquent real estate loans backed by commercial real estate and deep discounts from the collateral value during the last crash. We eventually split the companies in two...one a lender and one a real estate and loan buyer. With the lender, it was easy to go all over the country for commercial (primarily real estate investor) loans, but we found that sticking close to home, or at least having great boots on the ground that we trust, was the only want to do the real estate rehabbing and construction side of the business. Many have been successful doing absentee investments...we've just done better sticking to Central Florida. Regarding the areas, I've always struggled with NYC due to the high prices and the fact that attorneys really drag out the process and run up the bill. I know nothing about Maine other than making a few loans there, but we have done a lot in NC and, most recently, the resort areas of NE GA (Blue Ridge Mountain area). For your questions in the last paragraph, we did try the midwest, but found we did better when we could pop into the project at any time. We had a couple of nightmares in different parts of Indiana that drove us to stick to where we had great boots on the ground. Who did we talk to? I had been a banker in Central FL for many years when we started, so I had the finaning part down (we financed and still do finance other investors) and I had already built a great network of closing agents, contractors, attorneys, etc through my banking work. Most were previous clients I had developed a relationship with. As far as other areas, Florida still has no income taxes and we have a strong positive net migration. Inventory is incredibly low here, so it's ripe for those that wish to build more affordable-type housing. If the inventory isn't there, you can always built it! Let me know if you have questions or need help. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing your experience. I find that the order of things is not always perfect but timing is everything!!! Investing in a location that is close and/or easy to get to is key for many reasons. You were fortunate to have connections in the industry, hoping I'll get there with time. Appreciate the response and offer to help.

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Sandra Morrison:

@Jennifer Cramer

Definitely wherever you end up-if you choose a place where you don't (or even if you do) have connections- join the local REIA. They always have recommended contractors and other vendors.

If you travel too much, Columbus and Cincinnati ones are completely online so great way to get education for any strategy and recommendations (plus they have an online women’s investing group that I volunteer with hosting responsibilities ;-)

The hard part is getting a good team. Until you get one, it is nice to be able to pop in. I invest in Ohio, Kentucky and Florida and definitely lean on my boots on the ground in each state.

Appreciate the recommendation to join local groups where you're thinking of investing. Will do that next and love that Columbus and Cincinnati have virtual sessions.

1 Reply

OP

NY · Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 69 votes

2y

Quote from @Sam McCormack:

Quote from @Jennifer Cramer:

I'm a new member and this is my first post so please go easy on me! I'm interested in investing in my first LTR or MTR. I have a full-time job in NYC and travel excessively for work so I will need a property manager. My goal is geared towards long-term wealth and eventually reaching a point where I don't have to work as hard because I'll have passive income to offset some of the income I will lose when I "take my foot off the gas". I am not interested in house hacking as my plan is more centered around Buying and Holding.

The idea is to start in one area, build my team and then purchase my first property. Eventually, I hope to build my rental property portfolio in the area I choose. Initial budget is small, up to 300K with 25% down for the first property. Looking for Class A/B areas. I don't really care about making a profit off the monthly rent in the short-term (though it will be nice!), I just want to build equity and not "lose" money. Right now, I can't even narrow it down by state, much less city!!! Here are my options:

1) Georgia - my old company was headquartered in ATL so I know the area well and have friends in the surrounding areas. Hower, it seems really over saturated so not sure if I should still look there

2) NC - I'm drawn to this state but am not as familiar with the cities. Looked at the Wilmington area but open to any suggestions

3) NY - upstate, NYC or even far out in LI (mastic Beach?). It's my home state but property and taxes are so expensive outside of the city and in NYC you're dealing with maintenance fees, boards etc. I just think my money will go further elsewhere

3) Maine - I'm drawn here because eventually I want a second home in this state but this is my heart talking, not my brain

My question is, how did you go about deciding where you to invest? What resources did you use? Who did you talk to initially? Does anyone have feedback on any of the areas I listed above? Are there other areas I should consider? I realize this is incredibly broad, so I apologize but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Once I narrow it down, I feel like I will move but right now I'm stuck. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking forward to learning from all of you.

Try Greater Cincinnati! If you like, we can just schedule a call and talk about what is your. 300k is more than enough to get a good 2-4 unit in a good area, that is (on paper) going to cash flow! And not just Cincinnati, Northern Ky as well. Growing area, more jobs, growing community, a few colleges, and good sports teams. Let me know, we can hop on a call and talk about what this area has to offer!

LOL - OH was added to my list and Maine and NY were removed :) Not looking to purchase until closer to Feb but will reach out to chat if you're not opposed. Thank you