First Rental property in Baltimore City

[Yawo Akoussah]

Hello everyone,

I found a property in 21216 in Winchester near Winchester St and I am interested in buying it. I'm still relatively new to the area and wanted to get other's investor's thoughts on the location. I drove through the neighborhood during the day on the weekend and it wasn't too bad but before I make the final step and purchase this rental, I'm interested in hearing from experienced investors that have either invested in rental properties nearby or are just familiar with the area. 

Thanks in advance.

[Jamal L.]

@Yawo Akoussah

Hey Yawo, there are a plethora of tools you can use to determine how much and what type of crime are in certain areas. One tool is Trulia. Look up the crime report.  It allows you to gage just exactly what is happening and where. Baltimore is a very hit or miss kinda city. You can pick a great block in a somewhat not so desirable  neighborhood and get a grand slam. It definitely depends on a few variables. One of the most crucial factors to me when Im assessing a property is the traffic on the block. You want to make sure there aren't any street pharmacist giving out persciptions on or at the corner of your block. But it is perfectly feasible to get a good deal in that zip code.  I bought a property in the 21223 not to long ago and around the corner there is an open market with street pharmacist doing what they do. However the property has produced handsomely and I stand to make at least 60k after cashflowing for a few years.  It's all about your ability to assess the hidden values and capitalize off of them. People have to live everywhere. And It's not as dangerous as some may perceive. I have a few properties in the 21216 and I haven't been in not one altercation yet.