So first of all what is considered SE DC is basically 25% of the entire city including even parts of Capitol Hill so neighborhoods in SE range from some of the worst areas in the entire country (Washington Highlands for example) to areas i would have zero issues walking around at 2 AM (Hillcrest for example) as far as Anacostia specifically its still very block to block and some of the housing stock is really beautiful Victorians which are on the high end of the market but may still have the most upside where as there are some less attractive houses that will still go up in value but probably at a slower clip.

But Portland is not really a landlord per se market as it relates to BP because of price / rent ratios.. folks that buy here love it.. live here would no sooner go to Cleveland to be a landlord than go to the moon.. its a funny place in that regard..it certainly keeps portlandia Weird  as the saying goes. 

Yes, the SW is dry and we will see who hurricane season brings for the SE.

Now, for a beginner, my classic approach is to house hack because you get some hands-on experience with most facets of real estate investing without fully jumping in per se.

SE, NE NW?. 

There are good investment opportunities in SE DC, too.

@John Erlanger, it's not the ppsf that would bother me per se.

Originally posted by @Sean McCarty:@Remington Lyman, I almost went with Cincinnati to start with due to the fact that I have a lot of family history in Ripley, about and hour SE, but the growth looked a bit sluggish and crime a bit higher than Columbus.

I am not sure they will ever repeal it per se, but never putting any infrastructure behind it and continually delaying it is basically the same thing.

I moved there from SE Florida in the mid 90s.