Moving to MD and looking for opportunities

[Holly Harvey]

Hello all! I'm just beginning to learn about real estate investing and will be moving to Columbia, MD within the next two months. My partner and I will be closing on our first home, hopefully, by the end of the month. I'm looking for a buy and hold investment property to generate monthly income to offset the concerningly high mortgage payment (thank you interest rates). I don't have much in savings so I'm trying to utilize one of the strategies in Brandon's book "Investing in Real Estate with No 9and Low) Money Down." I thought about looking in Baltimore for cheaper options, but per my research, Baltimore's yoy population is decreasing and I'm weary about finding tenants. If there are any experienced folks who have any advice on where to look to get started, it'd be much appreciated. 

[Kenneth Cheston]

Hi Holly! I share Kyle's welcome! Kyle is a great lender. I actually spoke with him on the phone over a year ago when I first got started. 

I personally bought my first investment property a year ago in Overlea neighborhood of Baltimore. It was a duplex and ended turning out to be a great choice. Having said this, Baltimore is certainly a city with it's disadvantages just like any city. You really have to know the neighborhoods so that you don't end up buying in a bad area. You're right about the population, but to be honest there's still half a million people living in the city plus you have big employers like John Hopkins Hospital + University, University of Maryland, Amazon, and Under Armour (many more). I'm not sure if I've ever shared this, but I did a whole research package when I had my doubts about Baltimore. See link Baltimore Invesment Area Research. The reality is that there are thousands of investors here that continue to invest. Baltimore may be on the come-up or it may not be but there's still a TON of people that need a place to live. Hope this helps.