Investing in markets that are declining

[Harry Lippincott]

Hello My name is Harry. I am new to real estate investing and I have been doing a lot of research in the Scranton, PA market as a possible target area for my first investment property. First and foremost, the prices here are within my reach and I have found several properties that seem like they will cash flow nicely and the ROI looks good as well however the population and economy seem to be steadily (yet very slowly) declining. I'm trying to figure out if my concern is warranted or should I assume it is relatively safe to invest here since the decline seems to be flattening over the last 15-20 years. How much weight do you put on growth in your target market vs good deals that cash flow and have good returns?