Out of State Investing (Wilmington, DE?)

[Ron Hassanali]

Hello BP Community! 

I'm extremely new to real estate investing. The only experience I've had is buying my first primary residence in Dallas, TX early last year. 

It's always been a goal of mine to allocate my savings to real estate and become financially free like many of you. I understand it's not an easy feat, but I've heard/read/seen it takes a great deal of patience and consistency. 

It's hard to imagine that my first real estate investment (other than my primary) will be out of state, but I'm familiar with Wilmington DE having lived there previously. I witnessed the growth in the area, but not sure if it's best for my first rental property. What should I be looking for to make a wise decision? As I mentioned, I've lived there for an extended period of time so I'm very familiar with the area and I've read that is an important factor in out-of-state investing. 

Also, I'm not afraid to have my mind changed! If anyone can convince me the area isn't great and I should look elsewhere, please share!