Question for Kansas City Buy-and-Hold Investors-2% Rule of Thumb Question

[Brady Hanna]

So I am new at investing in real estate and live in the Kansas City market. My wife and I are looking to do buy-and-hold rental properties and eventually (5-10 years) build up a portfolio of 25 properties. Since I'm a new investor, I have been reading through several books including bigger pockets ultimate beginners guide. In the book, Brandon Turner talks about a 2% rule of thumb, where you should shoot for monthly rents of 2% of the purchase price of your home.

So if you buy a $100,000 house, you should shoot for projected rents of $2,000.

In my very little experience, I haven't seen this applicable in KC (other than in awful parts of town, and we aren't looking to be slumlords). What would your rule of thumb % be that you look for? Any areas in town that give you better returns than others that aren't in bad areas of town?

We are working on our business plan right now, and this is an integral part in getting started.

Thanks in advance for the tips!!