Finding Macro-level Info About a Market

[Ryan Cruz]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting out in Real Estate investing - I've read a few books and spoke with a few close acquaintances of mines as well.  So the first thing that comes up is setting goals and criteria of the type(s) of property I want to invest in.  I have that all down (buy-and hold, type(s) of property, $ range for initial investment, etc.).  However, what recommendations do people have in terms of finding out about more macro-level information about certain cities and areas?

Since I'm in California, I'm looking to actually invest outside the state, because of the high initial capital I'll need to pony up, compared to other places.  After researching "ideal places to invest in", some of the suggested markets are places like Denver, Dallas, Austin, etc..  Dallas is of particular interest to me, because I actually have some relatives who can be eyes and ears on the ground in terms of knowing what certain places are like.  But they may not have knowledge of every area.  So how do other people here get knowledge on things like crime rates, trends of rent prices, schools, job demographics, etc.?

Thanks!