How can I find the best area in my state or nationwide that would grow in price/rent? Which area/zipcode/county will grow in the future? Are there any websites? How does investors find good properties to buy/renovate and then sell for profit or rent it out. Usually realtors are not familiar with the entire state.
If it was that easy everyone would be doing it, therefore it would be useless. This definitely depends on where you are (I am assuming a larger state), but I will use Colorado for example because thats where I am.
First start out with learning about the strategy you want to employ, do you want a full gut? Lipstick reno? BRRRR? Once you have learned about that hopefully you know some major aspects and metrics to look for when regarding properties. Then you just find areas that fit that bill.
For example, in CO Denver prices are high, so Flipping can have huge spreads, but cost of entry is high. Colorado springs is less expensive than Denver and has a high amount of military personel, so typically tennants are higher quality and there is a constant flow of them. But flipping does not have huge spreads because it is cheaper, typically first time home buyers are buying in the area and can't afford higher-end products so there is not a huge demand for flips. And then there is always the mountain markets so if you want to STR the demand is extremely high, but flipping is basically non-existent because people scoop them up off market long before any individual could ever get to them.