First Property - Long Distance - Picking a Market

[Ben Be]

Hi All,

I have resolved to purchase my first rental property (or properties) in the first half of 2022. I am focused on SFH or small multi family, and need to invest long distance. I am looking into both turnkey and traditional properties, but first need to narrow my markets. I have looked at the following, but wanted to get everyone's input:

1. Camden, NJ - former industrial city right outside Philly, fallen on hard times, but enjoying some (very) slow resurgence. Hospitals and schools nearby can help drive appreciation. However, for the time being, crime is very high and i am worried about it being a very rough neighborhood.

2. Wilmington, DE - same concerns as Camden

3. Baltimore, MD - same as both of the above, but at least there is more of a track record for turnkey investments in the area

4. Pittsburgh, PA - considered to be one of the most rapidly gentrifying cities in the country, which improves prospects for appreciation.

5. Kansas City, MO - seems to be a very thick market for turnkey properties.

What do you all think of these markets? Are there others you think I should be looking at? I would like to spend the next couple of weeks vetting and deciding on a market so that I can move on to analyzing deals and ultimately buy a property, rather than continue oscillating between markets aimlessly.

[Trevor Fleck]

@Ben Be curious how you chose those markets? Are they areas that are familiar to you? If you're looking for a buy and hold, you may want to consider looking at macro trends like population shifts, landlord friendly states, states with low taxes or good incentives to bring in businesses, etc. You'll see a lot of the "smart" money in hedge funds and the like look at the sunbelt areas where populations projections are strongest over the next 30 years according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, if you're specifically set on one of those markets I'd recommend Kansas City - landlord friendly state, lower property taxes, increasing population and diverse economy, a good supply of potential rentals that product good cash flow with a decent chance of future appreciation. Have you ever looked into Turnkey companies? For example, I'm a huge fan of Rent to Retirement and I know they operate in Kansas City. Might be worth poking around on their website to gather some market intel. I'd be happy to share my experiences if you're interested.