Positive cash flow is great, but don’t forget the other three ways rentals build wealth over time:Principal Paydown – Your tenants are buying the house for you, one month at a time.Appreciation – North Texas continues to see strong long-term value growth, especially around job hubs and expanding suburbs.Tax Benefits – Depreciation can shelter thousands in rental income from taxes, and 1031 exchanges let you defer capital gains and scale faster.

Honestly, you're asking the right question — picking the right market is everything.Since you're based in NYC, you already live in one of the biggest real estate hubs, but it’s also crazy competitive and expensive, so it’s smart to also look at other markets too.When you're figuring out where to invest, you want to focus on a few basics: population growth, job growth, affordability, and rental demand.

Hi Richie,Great market for mid-term rentals — health systems and banking hubs create steady demand.Platform: Furnished Finder is ideal for travel nurses.

It's a huge FedEx hub.

The headlines have followed the big stuff—Amazon-scale warehouses, 100,000+ SF distribution hubs, logistics parks sprawling across the map.

You might also explore medium-term rentals (30+ day furnished), which are often less regulated but still highly profitable near hospitals, corporate hubs, etc.Keep learning, stay flexible, and know that the perfect time rarely shows up.

Been doing alot of book learning and networking but I know this hub is chalked full of info.

I switched from Stessa to REI Hub and found it to be a great decision.

For short-term rentals, research regulations in smaller tourist towns or areas near business hubs.

I am not in Texas so do not know how these tools work there but the first 2 sources I use for valuations is 1) Property Hub 2) Penny Mac home valuation.