Relocating From Boston to where?

[Ernest Partin]

Hello BP community, 

Hope all of you are well. 

I am gearing up to leave my comfort zone of Massachusetts (Boston). I do have a few locations on my mind. 

The only issue I have is should I move  where I seek to invest in my portfolio? I have no interest in investing in my backyard (Boston) I have interest in Hartford, CT...Charlotte, NC...Chicago, IL. I want to move to Atlanta area, is this a logic move? 

I am saving my money for a 20% down payment on a mutli-unit property (25 units) in my areas and criteria of interest. 

Yes, this will be my 1st property alone. I want to avoid the 4-unit stepping stone. All feedback is welcome. 

Thank you all. 

[Allan Smith]

Hi @Ernest Partin, I lived for a short time outside of Boston (Somerville) before moving to the Hartford area. While I've visited ATL, Chicago, and Charlotte, I can't say I know a lot about that market. As for Hartford, you'll find this is not a very large "city", especially compared to the others you've mentioned. The actual "downtown" is only about 6 blocks. It feels like right now Hartford is on an upswing (economically), but it has also been on a downward trend (pretty steeply) since the '90's, so it has a ways to go before it has fully recovered. The numbers are pretty good for rental property owners in the area (especially in urban centers), and your money will go a lot further than in Boston. 

The only note I will add is (and I'm sure those other cities are this way too, and may already be doing this) there are some suburbs that may get you a similar return, while offering more B-class class and C-class areas to choose from. It may be worthwhile to expand beyond the boundaries of the actual city when doing your search. 

Hope that helps, and don't forget #HartfordHasIt !