Cities to buy rental properties - Newbie

[Sharath Chandra Pilli]

Hi All,

I am from Seattle area and totally new to real estate investing. As a newbie investor, I have a few questions and hope to get the answers from the experienced here.

1. Which cities I should be looking for to buy first rental properties? The prices near the place I live are high and I don’t have a lot of capital?

I was thinking of Phoenix, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte etc.

2. Where to search for rental properties? I usually check Zillow, Redfin. Are these the right places to check? Are there better options? Or do people talk to specific agents who help them find rental properties?

3. Is there anyone in Seattle area who is willing to mentor me? 😊

Thanks,

Sharath

[Trevor Fleck]

Hi @Sharath Chandra Pilli welcome to BiggerPockets. We were all "newbie" investors at one point or another. I personally have received some great advice from savvy investors so happy to pay it forward. I'm in the Raleigh area which has become a bit too hot for good cash flow so I'm in the same predicament. 

I've invested in Huntsville, Little Rock, Fayetteville (NC), Cleveland, and Cape Coral. Of those, right now I'm most bullish on Cape Coral. 

You can check out Zillow or Redfin, but often the best deals are found off-market. If you have the bandwidth to identify a market and establish good contacts, you might be able to work with a wholesaler. For myself, I'm just too busy these days with little kids so I've chosen to work with a turnkey company - Rent to Retirement - and have been very happy. Message me offline if I can answer any further questions and good luck!