Greetings from Portland, Oregon

[Jonathan F.]

Hello, BP folks--

I joined the site a few weeks ago and have been learning a great deal. It's interesting to see so many experts and novices mixed in together here. I'd put myself in the latter category for sure. I became an accidental landlord a few years ago when I moved into an apartment and decided to rent out my primary residence rather than sell it. Now I'm looking to invest in a few more buy-and-hold rental properties over the next few years.

The first thing that caught my eye were the super-affordable cash-flow markets like Cleveland, Dayton, etc. I also spent some time considering so-called turnkey properties in Memphis. Most recently, I've been looking at ways to invest closer to home here in Portland. It's a hot market and prices are high, but Portland is growing fast (without sprawling) and is expected to continue doing so for many years. I don't really need cash flow right now, just solid investments. I've also thought about investing in some of the cities around Portland, like Salem, Oregon City, and Vancouver WA.

I'm planning to attend a NWREIA meeting soon and would enjoy learning how other Portland-area people approach investing in this area. Thanks and see you around the site!