Best Buy-And-Hold Markets Long Term

[Nick Brubaker]

Hi everyone!  

I am from Atlanta, Georgia, but have been living in Asia (currently Tokyo) for the past 7 years.  I and my wife plan to move to the US around the end of this year at which point I'm planning to start a career in real estate investment.  We hope to settle and invest somewhere long term.  I will likely focus on buy-improve-and-hold investments with the goal of building wealth - willing to sacrifice cash flow for equity build-up.  I have a substantial amount of money saved up and am open to various types of properties.  

We are literally looking across the country for the best place to settle.  The states we are most interested in are Georgia, Massachusetts, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, California, Oregon, and Washington.  My question to all of you is what REI markets do you foresee having the most stable and robust long-term potential in the coming 5, 10, 20 years? 

I realize this is a broad question.  I have done some of my own research, but I would really like to hear what some currently active investors have to say.  

[Jay Hinrichs]

@Nick Brubaker

  sounds like your not restricted by job location... your looking for a place to live and invest.

One financially sound move is to move to the Vancouver Wa. area... No state income tax.. then you simply drive 10 minutes across the Columbia river and do all your shopping in Oregon which has no sales tax...

And contrary to what many will tell you there is cash flow on the west coast.. I just had lunch with a fellow this week.. who was considering buying out of state last fall.. at the time I told him its really safest to buy as close to you as possible.. he then did some searching and he reported he bought a duplex in Portland area all in 170k  150k purchase 20k rehab rents 2200  a month.. that will rival any out of state investment ( unless you go to some other city and do it yourself like he did in this instance) But now he has a very stable income producing property that will appreciate over time. And he can self manage as Orygun tenants are famous for how steady they are.  So it can be done on the west coast

And In CA. you can find cash flow as well .. just not within 20 miles of the ocean in most areas.. but inland you can definitely find same quality cash flow as in many other states plus the lifestyle in CA.. can be pretty fantastic really.  heavy tax burden though.

I also second the Charleston opinion of the OP ... we are heavily engaged in that market and cash flow is probably not the number one thing but it would be super SAFE and steady and there is real appreciation upside.. remember the big dollars are made in appreciation ( unless you have the means to ramp up cash flow properties and own 50 to 100 doors) if its just a few doors.. then in my mind you NEED to put appreciation in the equation for long term wealth.