Should I even consider 100+ year old properties?

[Eric Bellefontaine]

Hello BiggerPockets Community,

So I am a complete newbie to real estate investing. I decided to start my search for my first deal (2-4 Unit Multifamily rentals) closer to where I live because I wanted to self manage. Currently a good portion of the inventory in my area consist of 100+ year old properties. So I wanted to hear from you all about your own experiences with older properties. What are some things I should be looking out for to avoid costly repairs or fees? Is it a better strategy to find deals that are farther away but where the properties are newer? What good experiences have you had with 100+ year old properties? Bad experiences? Are there tenants that would even find a 100+ year old rental appealing?

Anything you can share about your own experiences, or any tips you all can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Ned Carey]

@Eric Bellefontaine The area I invest is Baltimore city. most of the homes are 50 years old+ many are 100+. I don't care about the age. I care about the condition.  Many homes that old have be updated multiple times since being built. The important question is not how old is the structure but how old are the systems.