Where to Invest in Maryland

[Darren Wright]

Good evening fellow investors, 

I am currently trying to acquire my first investment property. I recently moved to Maryland for a job in D.C. and so far the areas I have seen are not ideal for investing.  Could you guys suggests some towns/neighborhoods to start with?  I'm looking for a multi-family house to start with.

Thanks Guys

[Russell Brazil]

Throw out the idea of multifamily investing in the DC area. Compared to other major metro areas, our region has an incredibly tiny amount of them. The few places where they do exist have a number of things going against them. Takoma Park for instance has incredibly restrictive rent control which makes their multistage cash flow negative if purchased with a loan. Trinidad in DC has some, but their highest and best use is as condos, so they are typically bid up in price by condo developers. 

Aside from that, where to invest depends on your goals. If you want 1% cash flow properties look to say Germantown, Laurel or Frederick. If you want appreciation look to DC, Rockville, Silver Spring, Arlington, Fairfax. If you want more cash flow and are willing to take on more risk look to southern PG County or Baltimore.