I’m an MIT grad student who used to be a consultant in the affordable housing section.

Bottom line is that rents are rising steadily—2–3% annually—while still offering strong affordability when some markets have been declining.Population GrowthThe metro area population has climbed from about 2.195 million in 2020 to 2.254 million in 2024—roughly a 2.7% increase over four years, adding nearly 62,000 people (+2.8%) between 2020 and 2024.

Many investors that's all they can afford or they are playing the volume game.

@Nick CikityWhat other Midwest city has as much investment planned as Detroit, yet offers such affordable real estate investments?

Quote from @Jon Martin: Quote from @Tyler Divin: We've found Zinus beds on Amazon to be affordable and tough. 

Product life cycles have gotten faster and faster.  

Even with all that growth, the price point is still really affordable, and you can still find properties in the $120–180K range that hit the 1% rule and cash flow from day one.

I think going slightly lower than the average ADR will get those slots filled + a great product that stands out.

We’re seeing a lot of applicants with credit scores below 550, some with falsified income, and others with outstanding landlord debt who refuse to resolve it.A few lead sources that have consistently worked wellfor our community include Zillow (most affordable), Apartments.com,and Facebook Marketplace.

Fort Wayne definitely has some solid things going for it and I know a lot of investors who like it for affordability and steady rental demand, but since you’re looking for cash flow and long-term appreciation, I’d also suggest taking a look at Columbus, Ohio.