Milwaukee,Wi

[Jennifer Smith]

Hi my name is Jennifer. I've been a homeowner for 5 years and was an accidental landlord for two of those 5 when I decided to move back home and pay off my student loans. Now that I'm debt free (excluding my mortgage ) I wanted to get started in investing in real estate. I live in Southern California and can not afford to get started investing in my local area. After doing research I've narrowed my focus to Milwaukee, Wi. Based off of what I've seen online (Redfin), the numbers look good and I will be able to meet the 1 (even 2) percent rule. My questions for anyone who could help are as follows: 1) How do I get accurate rental rate information (right now I'm doing my calculations based off of reported rental income on Redfin). 2) Before I get started, I know I need to set up my team. Does anyone know of a reputable realtor/ property management company/ contractor in the area? 3) what are the best areas in Milwaukee to invest? I'm currently looking at the river west area? 4) Is Milwaukee even a place I should be considering? Are there better opportunities closer to where I live in Southern California. I'm looking on obtaining my first property by summer 2017. I can start as early as spring. Right now I'm interested in building relationships and am eager to get into the real estate game. Thanks in advance for your input! Jennifer