looking to buy fist rental, considering Lansing, Michigan

[Jordan Szabo]

Hello BP community,

I'm a brand-new member and I'm looking to pull the trigger on my first rental property soon. My primary residence here in San Diego has a lot of equity and I plan on getting a HELOC to pay for my first rental. I would like to buy a SFH in the 100K price range to start. Given this 100K price range, I know that limits my potential housing markets. I am leaning toward Lansing, Michigan although I'm still very much in the research phase right now. I know Lansing has its own set of pros and cons, but so far, I like this area to start out with. One other pro about Lansing is I have a close friend who lives nearby and would be willing to keep an eye on things for me. If I find the right house and the right property management company, I think it could work well. Any opinions, advice? Anyone want to talk me out of this? Can anyone shoot major holes in my theory? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!