Philadelphia versus Brooklyn?

[Ruby Froom]

Hi all, I have a friend who is interested in beginning to invest in real estate. It would be so helpful if anyone is willing to offer any advice on her specific situation!

She lives in Bushwick, BK and loves it there- in theory, she'd be interested in buying a condo and living there herself for the next 4-5 years or so while she finishes school, then renting it once she moves away. She has a 6-figure income and her budget is 450-550k.

Other option is, she invests that money in a condo in Philadelphia to rent from the get-go. I own an investment property there already, and would be willing to help her out by checking on her place whenever I'm down there, so not much hassle for her. It seems like she could get a better value home in a nice Philly neighborhood, potentially with easier tenants, on her budget. Hard to get a sense of how much appreciation potential is left in Brooklyn though.

Thanks for your time again, and would be great to hear thoughts on this!