Analyzing my market

[Patricia Joseph]

Hey all,

I just joined BP and new to real estate investing. There's so much information to absorb, a newbie could certainly become overwhelmed. But, I'm going to take it nice and slow, to make sure I'm educated and prepared for when I'm ready to buy my first rental.

Living in the Atlanta, GA area there are a few areas, where I would like to purchase properties: Grant Park, Inman Park, and Virginia Highland. Grant Park and Inman Park are going through gentrification and very close to downtown Atlanta, which is a plus. I've looked at data on several sites, but I'm not sure what it all means. How do I determine if these are good areas to buy properties? I'm hoping to buy small, multifamily properties (duplex, triplex, quadplex). If there's info on the site I should read to help me understand how to analyze a market, please point me in the right direction. Thanks much!