Long Distance Real Estate Investing

[Cory Dill]

Hello all,

New to BiggerPockets forums but have been lurking and learning for the past year or so. I'm currently in Jacksonville, FL, and am toying with the idea of long-distance real estate investing, at least to start out. I currently do not own any properties and I am moving to the Boston area towards the end of the year and everything I've seen tells me that properties there do not cash flow, at least not in the immediate area. I understand there are some towns farther out that will likely work out but I am ready to get into the game now. 

I would feel comfortable buying a property that cash flows in an area I am familiar with, even if it's long-distance if the numbers make sense. I am thinking about the town I went to college in, Gainesville, to be exact. It's a bigger name University and I have seen plenty of properties that cash flow and I would bet appreciation will work out in the long run too, but of course, I am not counting on that part. Would this be a bad idea? If the numbers make sense I don't see why it wouldn't work out. With that being said, I would love to be educated as to things to look out for or even reasons that would suggest this is a bad idea. Thanks for the help!