Newbie-Struggling to define strategy

[Logan Olsen]

Hey Everyone,

Really excited to join the BP community and start learning from you all. I'm new to real estate investing and I am struggling to define my investment strategy. I have done the following:

1) identified a market to invest in (I will be investing out of state but in an area with family) 

2) identified an investor friendly agent /property manager and contractor. 

3) found two lenders I liked and have been pre-approved for a conventional 30-yr loan

4) determined that my first property will be a 2-4 multi-family 

What I am struggling with is defining a strategy. Specifically, optimizing cash flow vs. appreciation. I've analyzed ~40 properties and have found a few good cash flowing quads in a suburban area where appreciation might not be great. I've also found a few properties close to the city that are in areas under going gentrification. They may not be as good from a cash flowing perspective but I think the location is great...

Any advice for a newbie investor who is trying to get into the game? 

Thanks,

LO