New, Out-of-State Investors Looking into Kansas City and/or Charlotte

[Ellyn S.]

Hi! My husband and I live in Los Angeles, California, and are looking to invest buy-and-hold, out-of-state properties. We’re looking for 1-2 multifamily properties that don’t need rehabbing in a blue-collar or above neighborhood.  Our main goal is cash flow, and we’ve become increasingly interested in both the Charlotte and Kansas City markets thanks to good mortgage-to-rent ratios, strong local economies with growth potential, and personal/family connections.

Here's a question for the more experienced investors among us: How do you recommend we go about finding a TRULY AWESOME realtor and/or a turnkey management company in these two areas?  Personal recommendations are welcome, as is any additional advice you may have.  Thanks in advance!!

[Account Closed]

These areas are what locals sell to out of state investors :)  Come on guys...  These areas are catching the bleed of the ghetto gentrifing and a dieing base of older industry driven generation.  I doubt the GM plant will make it much longer, and anybody that lives in the MO burbs is in the Northland, Parkville, or Lee Summit.  Blue Springs is still pretty decent, but i don't see things getting better for any of those areas.  

Independence is still suffering from the meth epidemic, Raytown declines being next to Independence and catching people losing housing from the city cleaning up crime from the west.  Grandview catches the bleed of Ruskin becoming a ghetto rental nightmare.  Not a fan of the construction from those eras either.

People in there 20's and 30's continue to come to the city or go to Johnson county as it's the nicest suburbs in the metro area.  I would rather invest and go with the 1 percent rule in Johnson county than mess with anything that will continue to decline.