What distinguishes a good block in Indianapolis?

[Don Nguyen]

I want to say thanks to all the Indianapolis investors that I've been communicating with. You guys have all been awesome and I've been learning a lot.

A pretty common theme that I've been hearing is that the areas of Indianapolis are "block by block" and that you can't rely on what neighborhood a property is, particularly in the downtown areas. What is it that distinguishes the properties to this granularity? Is it the house construction itself? Crime rates? Accessibility to hotspots and areas of interest?

[Andrew Syrios]

Kansas City is the same way. For one thing, I would generally avoid the areas that are "block by block" and focus more on the working class suburbs with less crime. 

As far as the block by block analysis, the main thing to look for is the quality of the houses/apartments. Are any of them boarded up or burnt out? What about the tenants? Do you see a bunch of them hanging out on the porch shooting you bad looks in the middle of the day? Bad sign. Is there graffiti or trash around or unkempt lawns or broken down cars, etc. Those are the best signs to look for in my opinion.