Best Strategies for Starting to Research a Rental Area

[Eric Salgado]

Hello fellow investors: 

I am just getting started and trying to soak in as much as possible as I navigate finding my first deal.  I wanted to ask about how folks here approach doing research on a rental area to determine if it's a good place to be and how granular do you usually get?  

The issue I'm running into is that I'm thinking of investing in my hometown area - where I no longer live but still have family - and I believe more emotional perceptions may be dictating whether I think I want to invest in one area over another. It would still be useful to know what resources people usually consult to learn more about an area - especially a relatively low profile place that may not be a DC/LA/NYC etc.

Thanks so much in advance!