what are great markets I should consider moving to?

Question

I'm currently house hacking a duplex in the Hudson Valley, NY that I purchased last year. While it's been a great experience, I'm finding it difficult to scale here because many of the properties are older, expensive, and don't seem to offer much cash flow potential.

I'm at a point where I'm considering relocating to a different market altogether. My goal is to find a market where I can grow both my career and my real estate portfolio faster than I can in the Hudson Valley.

I work in the data center industry, so Texas has been on my radar due to the amount of data center development and job opportunities there. I've also considered Florida since I have family there, but I'm open to other markets as well.

If you were a 23 YO investor looking to relocate for the next 5–10 years, where would you move and why? I'd love to hear from anyone who has made a similar move and whether it helped accelerate their investing journey.

G. Brian Davis · Answer

At 23, I'd optimize first for career growth and income. A higher income gives you more investing options than almost any market ever will. Texas would be high on my list for the job opportunities alone. Just be careful not to chase a market based on hype. I'd look for a place where your career can thrive and the real estate numbers still make sense.

Alex Olson · Answer

Of course I am partial to Kansas City. There are tons of great sub markets here for first time investors and there is a pretty easy path to self manage with the right property. Would be good to show you.

Aaron Zimmerman · Answer

I think Chicago is a great market but perhaps not for your career in the data center industry. I'd be looking for places that are affordable and have decent inventory of 2-4 units.

Amit Patel · Answer

Hey Omar, Texas is a smart direction because of the data center boom and strong job growth. Markets like the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs or areas around Austin often give you better entry prices and stronger rental demand than the Hudson Valley, which helps with cash flow while you build experience. Florida can work too if family support is important, but watch insurance costs and hurricane risk, they can eat into returns faster than people expect.

If you’re open to it, the Chicago suburbs are also worth a serious look. You can still find decent cash flow on duplexes and small multifamily in many areas, the market is more affordable than Hudson Valley or coastal cities, and there’s growing data center activity in parts of northern Illinois. Winters are real, but the overall cost of living and rental demand make it easier to scale without stretching as much.

Wherever you land, the biggest accelerator at your age is picking a market where you can buy, stabilize, and repeat without the numbers being razor thin. Focus on cash flow first so you can reinvest, then layer in appreciation.

If you’re ever interested in the Chicago suburbs at all, I am happy to chat and help. Feel free to message me anytime and hope this helps.

Arman Ahmed · Answer

If I were 23 and optimizing for both career growth and real estate investing, I'd look for markets where job growth, population growth, and housing affordability intersect. Texas checks a lot of those boxes, especially with the continued data center and infrastructure investment, but I'd also pay attention to property taxes and insurance costs because they can quietly eat into returns. Personally, I wouldn't choose a market based solely on where I want to buy rentals. I'd choose a place where I can grow my income, network, and career, then invest where the numbers make sense. That's why many investors end up living in one market and buying in another. Midwest markets are worth a look because they still offer reasonable entry prices, cash-flow potential, and enough economic diversity to support long-term growth. The biggest accelerator usually isn't finding the perfect city, it's getting into a market where you can build relationships, execute consistently, and buy multiple deals over time.

Ryan Spath · Answer

Hi Omar,

This is an interesting conversation to say the least and the fact that you are willing to move says a lot. A couple things, just because you move doesn’t mean you will scale any faster. If an area is less to acquire assets the appreciation will likely be less in the long run. Florida is an interesting market, it had a large run up around covid times and now it is settling due to rising taxes and insurance. I am personally not familiar with Texas so cannot speak on this. If I were 23 I would be asking myself what are my long term goals? Do I plan on keeping my W2 and want to use RE to build wealth and provide a more fruitful retirement? Am I hoping to build a meaningful portfolio that will help replace my W2 income? Does lifestyle come into play as to where I want to live? Do you currently make a strong w2 income, if so can you replicate this if you move elsewhere? For me, real estate has been a long game. My first acquisition was in 2013. My portfolio did not provide meaningful cash flow until 2024ish, so it took 10+ years of aggressive savings, performing 1031 exchange to reposition equity, moving 8x in the past 10 years. To go back in time, I would not change anything. The one thing to consider is the older properties that give better cash flow today, will require more CapEx tomorrow. Investing in Real Estate is like growing Trees, the more you plant the more shade you will get later on, its not going to be fast, but if you are patient the trees will provide.  If you have any specific questions or I can help in any way send me a DM.