Hi everyone!

My name is Nicole Benton. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado and my husband and I recently moved to Washington about a month ago. We are currently renting in Orting, WA while we look to buy a home. 

I worked in the real estate industry for about 3 years in the property management sector. During that time, I developed an interest for investing in real estate and decided it’s finally time to pursue it! I was introduced to BiggerPockets through their podcasts, where I learned a wealth of information and was then introduced to this wonderful community. 

My husband and I plan to begin investing in buy and hold rental properties (single family or small multifamily properties) in Kansas City, Missouri or Indianapolis, Indiana. Our main goal in investing in real estate is to obtain financial freedom. 

Look forward to connecting! 

Hi Nicole! 

Welcome! We've achieved financial freedom through land investing.  It's a powerful way to create passive income.  If you want to know more, message me.  Good luck!

@Scott Bossman Wonderful, thank you! We'll definitely have to do some research on land investing as I don't have much knowledge in that area. 

@Nicole Benton I lived in Indy previously and now in KC so I have some familiarity with both markets.  Let me know if I can help.

@Bob Woelfel  Thank you, I appreciate that!

We’re wanting to invest in a growing, more affordable market where we can find cash-flowing properties since we are just starting out. Based on the research I’ve done, both are good markets to invest in. Both have seen stable appreciation in home values, job growth, and population.

Would you recommend one market over another or know of more information we should research before making the decision?

@Nicole Benton I would agree that both are good markets to invest in based on what you talked about.  I know enough about areas in Indy to speak very generally, but I'm significantly more familiar with KC since I've lived here much longer and invest here.  It's been 10 years since I lived in Indy and I know the city has changed a lot.  I would say downtown Indy is probably a little better and has a bit more to do, but KC has recently added the streetcar downtown and has a number of other cool neighborhoods that I felt Indy lacked.  There are others on this site who can speak more intelligently on the day to day in Indy as I just don't run numbers on deals there.  I'd be happy to chat about KC though and what we are seeing, particularly on the Missouri side where strong cash flow can be found.

@Nicole Benton

Welcome to BP.

Hi Nicole, welcome to the site! BP is a great resource to connect with investors from all over. I live not too far from you, own several rentals in Tacoma and am done in the area a lot. Orting is beautiful and growing. Love the trails and the park out there. 

Shoot me a PM and let's connect!

Welcome to BP, @Nicole Benton ! I've been OOS investing in Indy for about 3 years and have found success. 

Hi @Nicole Benton and welcome to BP!  I think both those markets are good midwest markets for investors.  However, the competition for properties in the better neighborhoods has grown quite fierce and it is all to easy for OOS investors to get duped into paying too much for a property and/or not getting what they were led to believe.  Make sure you visit the area and build a team (or pick one, such as turnkey) to work with very wisely and cautiously.

@Jason Tressler  Thank you Jason! I’m very interested in the Indy market and still trying to learn more about the best places to invest, etc. It would be great to connect. I'll send you a DM. 

@George Blower Thanks George!

@Aaron Nelson  Thank you Aaron! We love Washington so far. There are so many beautiful areas out here. We’ve been to Tacoma a couple times and really liked the area as well. 

Moderator Note: Advertising, solicitation, self promotion and deal making are NOT allowed in the regular forums. Your posts WILL be removed.

@Larry Fried Thanks for the advice! I will definitely take it all into consideration. 

Originally posted by @Nicole Benton :

Hi everyone!

My name is Nicole Benton. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado and my husband and I recently moved to Washington about a month ago. We are currently renting in Orting, WA while we look to buy a home. 

I worked in the real estate industry for about 3 years in the property management sector. During that time, I developed an interest for investing in real estate and decided it’s finally time to pursue it! I was introduced to BiggerPockets through their podcasts, where I learned a wealth of information and was then introduced to this wonderful community. 

My husband and I plan to begin investing in buy and hold rental properties (single family or small multifamily properties) in Kansas City, Missouri or Indianapolis, Indiana. Our main goal in investing in real estate is to obtain financial freedom. 

Look forward to connecting! 

 Welcome to the site Nicole.

@James Wise Thank you James!

KC is a great area to invest in.  Lots of great options!  Best of luck with your search.

@Nicole Benton Hi Nicole, welcome to WA.  I’m right up the hill from you in Buckley.  I’ve found BP a wealth of knowledge and have been able to get tips from others here.  Will be good to hear of you and your husband’s progress on RE investing.

Welcome @Nicole Benton !

@Jake Riordan and @Grant Rothenburger Thank you very much! 

@Dustin Thoms Thank you! We've been to Buckley a few times and love the area. I've found BP to be so valuable so far and it's really helped give us some direction getting started with our first investment.