Out of state LTR (#1 Huntsville #2 Atlanta and Dayton Oh as a possiblity

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Out of state LTR (#1 Huntsville #2 Atlanta and Dayton Oh as a possiblity

Jerry RobinsonPro Member
Investor · Atlanta GA Huntsville, AL · Member since 2014 · 58 posts · 9 votes

Hello everyone, been a BiggerPocket member since 2014. Sold most of my rentals , but looking to start adding propeties back in the areas that I was investing into in 2008 ( Huntsville & Atlanta with some consideration in my home town of Dayton, Oh) . I want to utilize the tools and resources including other members experience to make the most of my investment journey. It seams alot has been added to the BP platform is there an onboarding video on how to get the most from it or is just exploring around is the best option?

Thx and looking to adding and recieveing value form the BP community

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Ashish AcharyaBusiness Member
CPA, CFP®, PFS · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
1w

Jerry, having already owned rentals in these markets gives you a nice advantage because you’re not starting from scratch. I’d probably focus on rebuilding the portfolio in a way that’s easy to manage and scale rather than just finding the next property.

One thing I’d add to your list is the tax side of owning rentals across multiple states. Since you’re looking at Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio while living in California, I’d want to think through the state tax filings, entity structure, depreciation, and bookkeeping before the portfolio gets too large.

I’d also keep each property clearly separated in your records from day one. That makes it much easier to see how each property is actually performing and gives you a cleaner picture when you're making the next acquisition or eventually refinancing or selling.

Given that you’ve already owned and sold rentals, this could also be a good opportunity to look at what worked and what you’d structure differently this time around.

Feel free to DM me, I’d be happy to send over a few resources that might be helpful.

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  • Matthew MorrowBusiness Member
    Investor · PA - NY - NJ · Member since 2019 · 936 posts · 337 votes
    1w

    @Jerry Robinson welcome back. You've already been through a full cycle, so you probably know more about some of this than most of us. I don't think there's one video that covers it all. I mostly picked a few forums, followed the markets I cared about, and kept listening to the podcast, which I've done since pretty much the start. Following the Huntsville and Atlanta market pages and tagging those markets in your posts helps local folks find you. Looking forward to seeing how the rebuild goes.

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  • Ashish AcharyaBusiness Member
    CPA, CFP®, PFS · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1w

    Jerry, having already owned rentals in these markets gives you a nice advantage because you’re not starting from scratch. I’d probably focus on rebuilding the portfolio in a way that’s easy to manage and scale rather than just finding the next property.

    One thing I’d add to your list is the tax side of owning rentals across multiple states. Since you’re looking at Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio while living in California, I’d want to think through the state tax filings, entity structure, depreciation, and bookkeeping before the portfolio gets too large.

    I’d also keep each property clearly separated in your records from day one. That makes it much easier to see how each property is actually performing and gives you a cleaner picture when you're making the next acquisition or eventually refinancing or selling.

    Given that you’ve already owned and sold rentals, this could also be a good opportunity to look at what worked and what you’d structure differently this time around.

    Feel free to DM me, I’d be happy to send over a few resources that might be helpful.

    [email protected]941-914-7779
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    • Jerry RobinsonPro Member
      OP
      Investor · Atlanta GA Huntsville, AL · Member since 2014 · 58 posts · 9 votes
      1w

      Thank you Ashish for the great advice , as I will be looking at each aspect of my buisness to make it as efficient as possible so I can focus on scaling since I will be in different markets. I will keep you in mind, thanks again

      0Reply
  • Richard NeesePro Member
    Rental Property Investor · South Vinemont, AL · Member since 2026 · 52 posts · 18 votes
    1w

    Welcome back to the game ! I'm about an hour south of Huntsville and creeping up into the decatur area. I'm a LTR and value add investor. I actually primarily use a Claude chrome Browser extension to help me navigate and ask questions. May not be perfect but it gives me the ability to optimize my profile efficiently, search comments that might be pertinent to me (like this one), and even upload my properties to the site. Hope this helps! We have an acquisitions and dispositions team at my company North Alabama Restorations and Rentals so if you have a specific buy box i may be able to help. ! Have a good one !

    1Reply
    • Jerry RobinsonPro Member
      OP
      Investor · Atlanta GA Huntsville, AL · Member since 2014 · 58 posts · 9 votes
      1w

      Hello Richard good to see another Huntsville investor. I have had most of my rentals in the 35810 zip code and I notice it's getting harder as there is a lot of rentals as well as house for sale in that area. I find it takes longer to turnover rentals once a tenat moves out . Have you and your team experiencing the same in your area?

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  • Brad SeidBusiness Member
    Lender · Licensed in 28 States · Member since 2026 · 206 posts · 70 votes
    1w

    @Jerry Robinson Welcome back! Great to hear you're getting back into real estate investing. BiggerPockets has plenty of great resources and an active community to learn from. If you ever need financing for your next investment property in Huntsville, Atlanta, or Dayton, I'd be happy to help explore lending options. Feel free to reach out anytime. Looking forward to connecting!

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  • Arman AhmedPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 969 votes
    1w
    Quote from @Jerry Robinson:

    Hello everyone, been a BiggerPocket member since 2014. Sold most of my rentals , but looking to start adding propeties back in the areas that I was investing into in 2008 ( Huntsville & Atlanta with some consideration in my home town of Dayton, Oh) . I want to utilize the tools and resources including other members experience to make the most of my investment journey. It seams alot has been added to the BP platform is there an onboarding video on how to get the most from it or is just exploring around is the best option?

    Thx and looking to adding and recieveing value form the BP community

    Hey Jerry, welcome back! Since you’re considering Dayton, I’d definitely give the Midwest another look. I work closely in Dayton, Columbus, and Cleveland and would be happy to share some local insights and opportunities as you start building your portfolio back up. Always great to connect with another investor!

    [email protected]614-418-6081
    1Reply
  • Jimmy LieuBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    1w

    Welcome back, Jerry, and thanks for sharing the Dayton angle since that's your hometown. As far as I know there isn't a single onboarding video, but the fastest way to get value is to search the forums for the markets you're targeting, set up saved searches or keyword alerts for Huntsville, Atlanta and Dayton so new threads come to you, and use the Find Investors tool to connect with people who are active in those markets. Posting your buy box in a thread like this one also tends to pull in good local feedback.

    Since you're open to Ohio, I'd give it a close look next to your other two. I invest in Columbus and a lot of the deals I see there hit the 1% rule and still cash flow after every expense, and most come with $20K-$30K of built-in equity at purchase. Single families mostly run $120K-$180K, and landlord-friendly rules with clean evictions that wrap in about 30 days when uncontested make it workable from out of state. As with any market, verify the numbers on each deal.

    Feel free to connect, and I'm happy to make introductions to investor-friendly team members here in Columbus when you're ready.

    [email protected]614-300-7535
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  • Jim SternBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · ATLANTA Metro and Surrounding Counties · Member since 2025 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    1w

    Welcome back, Jerry. Coming back to Atlanta after investing here in 2008, the biggest change you'll notice isn't purchase price, it's carrying costs. Property taxes and insurance have both moved, so I'd underwrite every deal with a real insurance quote and the county's current tax bill, not the seller's old numbers. Before buying from California I'd line up three things: a property manager you've actually interviewed (ask about average days to lease and how they handle turns), a lender who knows DSCR if you'd rather not qualify on personal income, and a buy box by county, since taxes and rent levels vary a lot across Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Henry and Clayton. What price range and property type are you targeting? Happy to compare notes by DM.

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  • Divin KanyamaBusiness Member
    Accountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 660 posts · 273 votes
    1w

    Welcome back, @Jerry Robinson! With your previous experience in Huntsville and Atlanta, you already have a strong foundation—although those markets have likely changed quite a bit since 2008.

    I’d start by updating your profile and investment goals, then follow the market-specific forums for Huntsville, Atlanta, and Dayton. The calculators, deal-analysis tools, webinars, podcasts, and local member connections can help you quickly see what’s changed and rebuild your network.

    If there’s a current onboarding or platform tour, the help or learning section would be the first place I’d check. Otherwise, exploring with a specific purpose is probably more useful than trying to learn everything at once: analyze a few deals, join current market discussions, and connect with active local investors.

    Your past experience should also be valuable to newer members, so sharing lessons from previous cycles is a great way to contribute while getting reacquainted.

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  • Ryan BakerBusiness Member
    Lender · Strongsville / Cleveland, OH · Member since 2026 · 111 posts · 30 votes
    1w

    Jerry, Ohio is worth a real look for long-term rentals: lower price points, solid rent-to-price ratios, and a lot of investor-friendly inventory. Having a hometown connection in Dayton helps too, since you'll know the good and bad streets. Whichever market you pick, I'd get pre-approved first. DSCR loans qualify on the property's rent rather than your W-2 income, which makes out-of-state buying a lot simpler. I'm a lender in Northeast Ohio and happy to run numbers on a quick call whenever you're ready, my direct line and email are on my profile.

    (Drafted with AI assistance.)

    [email protected]330-548-3340
    1Reply
  • Robin SimonBusiness Member
    Lender · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1w

    Welcome back to BP Jerry! Theres no real onboarding video that I know of, its mostly just exploring around - one thing I would say is to follow the Huntsville, Atlanta and Dayton locations (under "Followed Locations") so the local threads show up in your feed, the market specific forums are where you'll find the PMs and agents actually working those areas. Huntsville and Dayton both still pencil pretty well for long term rentals right now, Atlanta is a bit tougher on cash flow unless you're out in the suburbs (like Stockbridge, McDonough, etc.). Are you planning to buy in your own name or in an LLC this time around? A lot of out of state investors are going the DSCR route these days since it doesn't look at tax returns or personal income, pretty handy when you're scaling back up.

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  • Jacob CamhiBusiness Member
    Hinton, WV · Member since 2026 · 135 posts · 42 votes
    1w

    Jerry, since you’ve owned rentals in these markets before, I wouldn’t worry too much about finding one perfect onboarding video. I’d just start using BP with a simple routine: follow Huntsville, Atlanta, and Dayton, set up a few saved searches or keyword alerts, post your buy box, and run some current deals through the calculators.

    Because you’ll be investing from California, I’d also line up your local team before buying: a property manager, reliable contractor or handyman, insurance person, lender, and someone who can check on turnovers. The markets may look familiar, but they probably won’t line up exactly like they did in 2008. I’d compare current taxes, insurance, vacancy, turnover time, management fees, and rents, not just the purchase price. Dayton could be worth a close look since you know the area, but I’d let the current numbers tell you where to focus.

    1Reply
  • Alfath AhmedBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1w

    Hey @Jerry Robinson , good to connect! I've been investing in Dayton and Columbus for a few years now. Dayton is a pretty affordable and stable market with some good cashflow opportunities.

    I would start by exploring the forums and connecting with local investors and agents in the markets you're looking into. I've also put together neighborhood graded maps, contractor spreadsheets, and investor resources for Dayton that I'd be happy to share.

    Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any questions about Dayton!

    [email protected]614-802-5698
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  • Ashley RigsbeePro Member
    Customer Success & Onboarding Specialist at BiggerPockets · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2023 · 136 posts · 51 votes
    5d

    A member since 2014?! Wow! That's a great member to have we're happy you're here. Im a new aspiring investor so just curious, what would you do differently going back into those markets?

    BiggerPockets
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  • Jerry RobinsonPro Member
    OP
    Investor · Atlanta GA Huntsville, AL · Member since 2014 · 58 posts · 9 votes
    4d

    Hello Ashley great question, I had a chance to look back on my investment journey and realize I have a lot to learn even through I been doing this for a while. A couple of things that stand out is I stated in 2008 and during that time I was buying based on the price . When you can buy a house for the same price of a new car, for me it was a no brainer. But looking back I feel I could have done a lot to improve myself to make the most of my rentals, like setting funds aside for capx , improvments, vacany. When these things hit my later it was frustrating. Lucky I had funds through liqudating some houses, but after starting back to listening to bigger pockets I feel I might be a more informed investor. As I go back into investing I will insure I maintain a reserve for the expense that will arise and be more concious of money flow as it pretands to vacany and repairs. Before I used a property manager and for me it never felt like an owner and let them manage accordingly. Going forward I will be playing a more active roll in each rental I purchase going foward.

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