Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Detroit, oh my..

[Joe Martella]

Good afternoon BP,

Maybe you all can help me finalize my decision.  I am in NJ and because of the market and our high property tax rates here, I think that I can get more bang for my buck and better cash flow by investing in other markets.  The one thing that I was looking at is turnkey providers.  I limited myself to these markets because that is where some of the properties they offer are located.  I have heard good and bad about each location and aside from going to each location, staying a week to get a feel for the neighborhoods, I am turning to you to see what you believe is the ultimate location to invest in.  I am hoping to get some solid feedback from those that are currently in those markets and are willing to provide some guidance as this will be my first out of state venture. 

I do not want to invest in a war zone, nor do I want to invest in a place where no one wants to go at night.  Each investor has his/her niche, and I understand that, but from hearing so many opinions, my head is spinning.  I heard investment strategies of just purchase land in Detroit - it will appreciate eventually to the only thing that matters is a good property manager. 

I am looking to retire in approximately 15 years.  My goal is to set myself up so I do not have to worry if I have enough money in my 401k as long as I have a strong solid monthly cash flow to support my needs.  So my questions are as follows:

1.  Which market is best?

2. Should I invest in SFR or multi-families?

3.  Should I go through a realtor or should I use a TK provider/marketer?

3a.  Any suggestions on who to use?

4.  What should I be looking at for my minimum cash flow?

5.  Does the amount of rent dictate the type of area?  I was told that as long as the MO rent was $750+ I should be in an OK area.

6.  Should I purchase cash or finance?

Those are all the questions I can think of at this point.  I appreciate any information the BP community can provide.  I am looking to purchase a property soon so I can start working towards achieving my goal.