I have been looking at different places to invest.I am looking for advice on the best tool to use to help with appreciation, job growth, etc that would help me.I have looked at a few tools, like zillow, trulia (to look at sold properties) but I was looking for more historical data on appreciation.Any advice would be appreciated!

@Jordan DecuirI have made contact with an agent on Linked in and she has mentioned working with me but I am not sure if she is as up to the task as I would hope.Without her being compensated, initially, for some of the things I am asking, I feel as if she is putting me on the back burner (so to speak).I just did the @ and your name but nothing was prepopulated.

I provide work for them to do, tell them on what days it needs to be completed, and how many hours or lump sum I am willing to pay them for in order to complete the task, but I can't dictate when they work.SO...

Thanks,My guess is that some newer investors find hiring contractors to be a daunting task (which it most certainly as for newbie investors) and they think that by partnering with a contractor, it relieves them of the responsibility of having to do their due diligence, put together a scope of work, put together a budget, etc.The problem with that reasoning is that they aren't relieving themselves of the responsibility -- they are just transferring it to someone who probably isn't any better at than they are, and are locking themselves into a relationship that would be a lot more difficult to extract themselves from than just firing a contractor.Plus, investors tend to make less money this way.In other words, partnering with a contractor is most often a lose/lose situation for an investor.

Some cities have seen unit growth of 30%-50%.

The growth from there down to San Antonio was noticeable and I imagine it's booming now. 

The last two months I have put a LOT of work into two units since I was getting them ready but once they are good to go at the end of the week on the last touchups, it is less than an hour a week in property management tasks for the four. 

Yes the growth may not be as much as Madison but the investor money is also less.

While I don't know if the locations are "up and coming", there is an appreciation play if the growth of University City extends to those areas in the next 10+ years. 

Just expect the growth to be exponential, and to come at the tail end, not linear.