single family homes

[Robert Negley]

So from what I can tell and correct me if I'm wrong it appears that finding a solid cash flowing multi family is going to be very difficult in this area. I have no issue going with single family homes, that being said what are some solid areas to begin narrowing down my search. I'm looking for long term buy and hold. I will be long distance investing so I need to have a thorough understanding of an area but for now I'm just trying to narrow that down to 1 or 2 areas. Any advice is appreciated.

[Trent B Paul]

In the Atlanta area, I would focus on finding submarkets within a decent public elementary and high school district. Anything above a 6 or 7 on greatschools.org is a safe bet. Anything above an 8 is almost always going to be in demand for renters and resale.

I would also try to find a property within this market where you can force appreciation by making major or minor cosmetic and functional renovations that will increase your equity. 

Unfortunately, the trickiest part is that the Atlanta market is still one of the hottest in the entire country the beat listings for retail buyers and for investors are still going into multiple offer situations and selling within a few weeks above asking price. Therefore, if you want to find a good deal and not overpay, then connecting with a local investor friendly agent who has the tools and network to find deals not on the MLS is they key to winning in this market.