Read somewhere that SFH in solid blue collar neighborhoods is a safe strategy.

Another great place to find RIT rentals are in the neighborhoods near Calkins Road and Bailey Road (closer to RIT).

David StoneElma, WATHE NUMBERS: Our purchase price in 2009:  $155,000Currently owe:  $136,000Mortgage:  $1080 / mo (PITI)Rent:  $1000 ($100 above median, but house is newer condition than neighborhood), Tenant pays all utilitiesProperty:  3 bed, 2.5 bath, 1576 sq ft, built 2008, located just outside Shelton, WAFair market value:  $166,000 according to Zillow private estimate of comps I am looking to make a minimum of $35,000 from the sale of the property to make it worth itBACKGROUND:This certain property was not originally purchased for a rental.  

Areas West of the 14 start to get sketchy and require a deep knowledge of what pockets are the rougher neighborhoods and which pockets are decent.  

That area is a lower class neighborhood, but it's closer to town and should come around in time.

Hello AllI have been looking into investing in the Philly market and a deal came across me from a agent, here it is:N. 12 th street, philly --neighborhood C/D classpurchase cost:  $85k  Taxes: $1190.00/year  Water: $60/month2 tenants in place been there for 3 years : Total rents : $1475.00/monthYour feedback would be great!  

My biggest concern was not wanting to be stuck in a single place, so I started looking into the possibility of renting the condo out once we moved, and after talking it over with my wife, we decided to put an offer in and get a place before we get gentrified out of our neighborhood and then keep it when we move and start building our own wealth.As it stands right now, I'm not an investor (yet) while we wait for the bank's reply on our SS offer, but one way or another we're doing this to eventually get out of our day jobs.

Single family homes, distressed but in decent neighborhoods. 1980s-1990s, 3+ BR, 2+ Bath, 2 car garage, tile roof, stucco, no HOA, far east Lancaster & Palmdale (past 20th st East but before 50th East). 

Hello Douglas,Couple of quick things about Seattle that are probably good for you to know going into this.If you are looking to buy a house, especially in one of the higher-end neighborhoods, then prices will probably quickly climb into the $500K-$1M range and beyond.

(A lot of people use sites like Zillow and Trulia to look for properties though I hear they are not always accurate) If you have a specific area you are interested in check online or maybe in your local newspaper to see if there are any open houses you could attend.