Good contractors are hard to find.

And it's not good for them.

So I’m really interested in hearing what areas near Phoenix you think:– are on the rise,– have adjusted in price with the cooling market,– or are good long-term holds where I could also live comfortably.Which areas/cities/zip codes in and around Phoenix/Maricopa county would you target with a ~$400K budget for a house hack with appreciation potential?

But Good luck either way. 

Very good question @Madi Shanahan - I absolutely love Chicago for house hacking. 

The pricing is outrageously (at least compared to COMPETITIVE pricing) high, while the product or service is not good, and slow to adapt.  

It also puts you in a liability situation if they dont finish and close on time...give yourself some buffer on timing.Vacancy and demand - the winter isn't necessarily a bad time anymore; demand for high quality products is a year-round endeavor in Raleigh these days.

Agreed, smells very very fishy, but after looking the company up it looks like it was established in 2004, and in good standing since 2014, so it looks like they have been around, at least in the government database.

Good market for cashflow and strong appreciation.

Hello so this is completely off topic and not real estate related but how do you feel about Brian Tracy or other people that are similar to what he does? Did it help you start your investing journey and if it did how ...