Out of state investing for Californians

[Ashni Modi]

I am starting out my journey in real estate investing. I live in orange county, California where there is basically nothing under $1 million. Is investing in California still viable? Say if I have 100K available for downpayment, what are some markets for out of state investing? I would like to have a good balance of positive cash flow as well as appreciation. I have heard of Midwest but any recommendations for which cities to look into? 

[Mike Paolucci]

Quote from @Ashni Modi:

I am starting out my journey in real estate investing. I live in orange county, California where there is basically nothing under $1 million. Is investing in California still viable? Say if I have 100K available for downpayment, what are some markets for out of state investing? I would like to have a good balance of positive cash flow as well as appreciation. I have heard of Midwest but any recommendations for which cities to look into? 

 Hey @Ashni Modi. 

I'm originally from San Francisco, CA and started investing in 2021. It was pretty hard to find properties where the numbers and landlord laws made sense which is what ultimately led me to investing in Columbus, OH. There's also other markets like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo that are also good markets to invest in. 

The numbers and landlord laws out here made sense then, and they still do today. I've been able to get a healthy combination of both cashflow and appreciation from all my properties after a little TLC.

When it comes to investing in CA, be prepared for what is coming on the Nov ballot. It's called the "Justice for Renters Act." It's basically another reason why I choose not to be a landlord in CA. Here's the link --> "Justice for Renters Act"

Happy to share my experiences. Good luck on your REI journey and property search!!