If You Had $100k to Deploy Today, Which Market Would You Choose?

Out of State Investing

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If You Had $100k to Deploy Today, Which Market Would You Choose?

Robert EllisBusiness Member

Developer · Miami, FL · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes

If you had $100,000 to deploy into rentals today and had to invest out of state, where would you put it?

You can pick up to 3 markets.

More importantly, why?

Not looking for the "best" market. I'm interested in the reasoning behind the choice.

Are you prioritizing:

• Cash flow
• Appreciation
• Population growth
• Landlord friendliness
• Rent-to-price ratios
• Job growth
• Housing shortages
• Something else entirely

The most interesting part of real estate investing is that two investors can look at the exact same market and come to completely different conclusions.

Interested to hear what markets everyone is watching heading into 2026.

[email protected]786-494-6766

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Ryan Arth

Developer · Cleveland / Akron, OH · Member since 2008 · 922 posts · 399 votes

5mo

Quote from @V.G Jason:

The equities market.

True. If I "had" to invest in RE out of state, I would buy a local operating business instead. If that was off the table I would just buy the total market index with that 100K and go back to what I was doing. Risk/return and all that...

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V.G JasonPro Member
Investor · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
5mo
The equities market.
1 Reply
- Ryan Arth
  Developer · Cleveland / Akron, OH · Member since 2008 · 922 posts · 399 votes
  5mo
  Quote from @V.G Jason:
  
  The equities market.
  
  True. If I "had" to invest in RE out of state, I would buy a local operating business instead. If that was off the table I would just buy the total market index with that 100K and go back to what I was doing. Risk/return and all that...
  2 Reply
Nick Sansivero
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2026 · 56 posts · 30 votes
5mo
@Robert Ellis I focus on both cash flow and appreciation. Abilene TX has been super hot the past few months with OpenAI, Oracle, and Microsoft expanding data centers there creating thousands of jobs..

Rent is up 42% YoY, home values up 5.5% YoY. Median home values around $213k which could work with that $100k budget. The market keeps climbing when I run the monthly numbers

1 Reply
- Robert EllisBusiness Member
  OP
  Developer · Miami, FL · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  5mo
  Quote from @Nick Sansivero:
  
  @Robert Ellis I focus on both cash flow and appreciation. Abilene TX has been super hot the past few months with OpenAI, Oracle, and Microsoft expanding data centers there creating thousands of jobs..
  
  Rent is up 42% YoY, home values up 5.5% YoY. Median home values around $213k which could work with that $100k budget. The market keeps climbing when I run the monthly numbers
  
  Abilene is an interesting one. The data center story is hard to ignore, especially when you have multiple major employers making long-term commitments rather than a single employer driving the growth.
  My only question would be whether current pricing is already reflecting a lot of that future growth. Are you still finding deals that cash flow at today's prices, or are you primarily betting on continued appreciation and rent growth from here?
  [email protected]786-494-6766
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  1 Reply
Alex Olson
Real Estate Broker · Kansas City Metro · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
5mo
Kansas City of course. Lots of case studies here.
0 Reply
- Robert EllisBusiness Member
  OP
  Developer · Miami, FL · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  5mo
  Quote from @Alex Olson:
  
  Kansas City of course. Lots of case studies here.
  
  Kansas City comes up in almost every market discussion lately.
  What do you think is the biggest advantage KC has today compared to some of the other Midwest markets investors are looking at? Is it appreciation potential, landlord friendliness, economic growth, or something else?
  I'd be curious how you rank it against places like St. Louis, Indianapolis, or Cincinnati right now.
  [email protected]786-494-6766
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  0 Reply
Jeff Roth
Real Estate Consultant · Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2022 · 474 posts · 261 votes
5mo
Hi Robert from Miami, FL-
Great question! You asked, if you had $100K to invest, which markets would you invest in and why.
Three markets to look at are Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. There are others in Michigan but these three come to mind.
You will have the easiest time finding cash flowing properties in the Lansing and Kalamazoo areas. There is plenty of economic development in both areas and strong demand for housing. Student rentals, mid-term rentals, and short-term rental are all options as well.
It will be harder to find cash flowing properties in Grand Rapids but the demand is very strong there for housing from economic development and population growth with demand for various rental property types.
To Your Success!
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- Robert EllisBusiness Member
  OP
  Developer · Miami, FL · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  5mo
  Quote from @Jeff Roth:
  
  Hi Robert from Miami, FL-
  Great question! You asked, if you had $100K to invest, which markets would you invest in and why.
  Three markets to look at are Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. There are others in Michigan but these three come to mind.
  You will have the easiest time finding cash flowing properties in the Lansing and Kalamazoo areas. There is plenty of economic development in both areas and strong demand for housing. Student rentals, mid-term rentals, and short-term rental are all options as well.
  It will be harder to find cash flowing properties in Grand Rapids but the demand is very strong there for housing from economic development and population growth with demand for various rental property types.
  To Your Success!
  
  Interesting perspective. Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo all seem to offer very different risk-reward profiles despite being in the same state.
  One thing I've been noticing lately is that investors often focus heavily on cash flow while underestimating the value of sustained population and employment growth. If you could only pick one of those three markets for the next 10 years, which would it be and why?
  [email protected]786-494-6766
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- Tim M.
  Member since 2022 · 6 posts · 6 votes
  5mo
  Jeff, I was just about to ask a questions regarding the areas you mentioned, stoked to see you bring them up.
  Im finding the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo area insanely hard to get into currently. Even with 30% down and a tippy top credit score, nothing is making sense on paper. Between property taxes and debt service, Im just having no luck at all.
  1 Reply
- Jeff Roth
  Real Estate Consultant · Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2022 · 474 posts · 261 votes
  5mo
  Quote from @Robert Ellis:
  
  Quote from @Jeff Roth:
  
  Hi Robert from Miami, FL-
  Great question! You asked, if you had $100K to invest, which markets would you invest in and why.
  Three markets to look at are Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. There are others in Michigan but these three come to mind.
  You will have the easiest time finding cash flowing properties in the Lansing and Kalamazoo areas. There is plenty of economic development in both areas and strong demand for housing. Student rentals, mid-term rentals, and short-term rental are all options as well.
  It will be harder to find cash flowing properties in Grand Rapids but the demand is very strong there for housing from economic development and population growth with demand for various rental property types.
  To Your Success!
  
  Interesting perspective. Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo all seem to offer very different risk-reward profiles despite being in the same state.
  One thing I've been noticing lately is that investors often focus heavily on cash flow while underestimating the value of sustained population and employment growth. If you could only pick one of those three markets for the next 10 years, which would it be and why?
  
  Hi Robert-
  Great Question!
  I would look at (1) Grand Rapids (2) Lansing and (3) Kalamazoo in that order for population and employment growth over the next 10 year.
  Jeff
  1 Reply
- Jeff Roth
  Real Estate Consultant · Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2022 · 474 posts · 261 votes
  5mo
  Quote from @Tim M.:
  
  Jeff, I was just about to ask a questions regarding the areas you mentioned, stoked to see you bring them up.
  Im finding the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo area insanely hard to get into currently. Even with 30% down and a tippy top credit score, nothing is making sense on paper. Between property taxes and debt service, Im just having no luck at all.
  
  Hi Tim-
  Kalamazoo is less frothy than Grand Rapids.
  Also, take a look at Lansing.
  I like that market a lot as well.
  Happy to help.
  Jeff
  1 Reply
Leroy K. WilliamsPro Member
Property Manager · Southfield Mi · Member since 2018 · 191 posts · 176 votes
5mo
I would look into Detroit. Most of world is about 6-7 years behind on the headlines regarding the emergence of Detroit. What we know here is that due to the intentional investments of major companies like Ford and the Rock Companies (lead by Dan Gilbert) Detroit is becoming a major player in high tech research and development focused industries. The new focus and activity has caused the City of Detroit to see population flight reversals and an increase in property values for residents who stayed through the economic downturn.
Detroit provides a great opportunity to get in while the prices are still affordable
1 Reply
Alex Olson
Real Estate Broker · Kansas City Metro · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
5mo
About KC
Is it appreciation potential - some but more of a steady eddie
land lord friendliness - Yes. No rent control and non payers can be evicted.
economic growth - yes economci growth is very stead
We have a robust economy. We are masters of none but have a it of everything - pro sports, bars, restaurants, attorneys, drs, lawyers, large regional hospitals (many of them), tech scene, animlal health, ag, growing downtown with new high rises, baseball stadium moving down town, progressives on both sides of the state line. Quality schools. This is no denver or nashville - just a safely growing city that will build wealth over 5-25 years.
1 Reply
Natalie NixonPro Member
Real Estate Consultant · Birmingham, AL · Member since 2023 · 18 posts · 11 votes
5mo
The where - Alabama
The why:
2nd lowest property taxes in the US
Very landlord friendly
Low purchase prices offering solid cash flow
Robust job and population growth
Variety in markets
[email protected]205-782-9788
1 Reply
Aristotle Kumpis
Specialist · Long Beach, CA · Member since 2011 · 888 posts · 401 votes
4mo
The greater Dallas area. The population just hit 9M.
1 Reply
Bruce Lynn
Real Estate Broker · Coppell, TX · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4mo
Ft. Worth now the 10th largest city in the nation. Texas in general hits pretty much on all cylinders for what you asked about. Probably the trickiest part is rent vs price. Prices went up faster than rents and we built 50,000 apartments several years in a row, probably the most or near the top of any city in the nation. The apartment boom lease up should be over by the end of the year and then we should start to see rent growth again. So you have to put down more down payment right now to cash flow, but that should change over time.
Just got another North American HDQ --Samsung moving from NJ.
1 Reply
Shawn McenteerBusiness Member
Realtor · Boonton Township, NJ · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
Hi @Robert Ellis
#3 Market: Where the investor lives
#2 Market: Market that is under 45 minutes from where investor works
and My #1 pick of markets investors should look into with a $100k is house hacking in their local market.
At the end of the day everyone has a claim to fame as to why "their market" is the best. I make the same claim, I genuinely believe New Jersey is an amazing market to invest in. Rent increases year over year are wild and appreciation is life changing. I have zero evictions and no landlord horror stories in over a decade but I am not telling outsider to come in, I simply encourage locals to stay local and find the unfair advantage with in your market. For example mid term rentals are insanely profitable in New Jersey. Meanwhile many other markets it does not exist. I am literally doubling rents on properties just by furnishing them. Stay local, find your unfair advantage, and reap the benefits.
973-975-3895
House Hacking New Jersey561 Reviews
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Crystal SmithPro Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
Quote from @Robert Ellis:

If you had $100,000 to deploy into rentals today and had to invest out of state, where would you put it?

You can pick up to 3 markets.

More importantly, why?

Not looking for the "best" market. I'm interested in the reasoning behind the choice.

Are you prioritizing:

• Cash flow
• Appreciation
• Population growth
• Landlord friendliness
• Rent-to-price ratios
• Job growth
• Housing shortages
• Something else entirely

The most interesting part of real estate investing is that two investors can look at the exact same market and come to completely different conclusions.

Interested to hear what markets everyone is watching heading into 2026.

We don't hold single families for rentals so my answer will be about multifamilies

1. Chicagoland area- it's my backyard and there are over 100 submarkets to choose from for different reasons. Some submarkets are for cashflow, while others are for appreciation
2. - Augusta Georiga- Near US Cyber Command; Augusta is Lots of military and defense contractor presence, along with medical and higher education so there's a nice pipeline of nurses, med students, military personnel, and cyber-security contractors who need 12-to-24-month leases. $100k is a nice down payment for a multifamily.
3. Columbus, Ohio- massive student population at Ohio State University, lots of tech and manufacturing investment, supports our business plan to invest in student housing
312-681-7487
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