First Time Investor Considering Pitt, ATL, Indianapolis, DET

[Spencer Kier]

I am a first time investor (and poster) living in Southern California looking to invest out-of-state. I am looking for SFHs ideally under ~$125k to rent (or flip) in ~B or up-and-coming neighborhoods. I am hoping to invest in a few properties over the next couple years.

After some research, I have honed in on the following markets and neighborhoods/suburbs. Some of these groupings were more so to reduce length than for accuracy, so please correct me where necessary.

Pittsburgh

• Bluff/Terrace Village/Upper Hill/Oakland
• Allegheny/Manchester/Central Northside
• Swissvale/Braddock Hills/Rankin
• Summer Hill/Reserve Township/Millvale/Spring Garden

Indianapolis

• Fountain Square/Bates Hendrick
• Arsenal Heights/Woodruff Place/Willard Park

Atlanta

• Adams Park/Cascade Heights/Audoban
• Beecher Hills/Mays/West Manor/Green Forest Acres/Green Acres Valley/East Ardley Road/Mangum Manor

Detroit

• Rosedale/Grandmont
• Green Acres/Sherwood Forest/Palmer Woods/Unversity District/Bagley
• North End/Hamtramck

Since this is my first time, I was hoping to…

• Understand whether these are good markets for my criteria (or if there are others I should be considering).
• Hear about people’s experiences in and the state of these markets.
• Learn about any variables that I may have not considered, either in these specific markets or as a first time buyer.

[Brenden Mitchum]

Hey @Spencer Kier!

I am located in Atlanta and can tell you that this market is red hot. This means the competition is pretty crazy at the moment. Any "up-and-coming" area is already swarming with flippers. There are definitely still deals out there but you will be hard-pressed to find something in a B area for $125k that does not need a complete gut job. Also, around here I would not say B is up-and-coming but rather already there. These areas are the hottest right now and I rarely see a "deal" stick around for more than 24 hours. However, if you are looking to invest in the next couple of years and have the time/patience, I highly recommend you have a look at Atlanta. The job growth and diversity here is incredibly strong. 

If you are looking to buy something asap with your criteria, I'd recommend looking into Indy a bit further. From what I hear that is a solid, stable market with decent cash flow and still relatively low prices. 

If you have any questions about the Atlanta market, please feel free to message me anytime!