Fox Valley Area & Multi Family Investing

[Amanda Wirch]

I am a brand new forum member, currently educating myself on investment real estate.  I live in Minneapolis MN, but while we like living here so far, the prices in the metro area are pretty far outside of our comfort for what we would get.  We grew up in the Fox Valley area of WI and are back every several months for visits.  We have watched the growth over each visit, particularly in Oshkosh and surrounding smaller towns.  Pricing in the area is still within a range we feel comfortable with, and we are willing to hire a quality property management company to manage properties for us.  

Our goal is not any sort of real estate empire: we consider ourselves buy and hold investors.  We arent interested in older homes that have been broken up into apartments -- but rather apartment style buildings with 4-8 units.  We hope to hold between 5 and 10 buildings for the sake of some initial cash flow and allowing them to pay themselves down and provide future income.  

Area investors: what parts of the Fox Valley are you investing in?  Are the markets positive as they appear to be to us?  I've looked in Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, and a little bit in Appleton because those are most familiar to me.  I'm checking crime maps, prices, and sticking with properties with at least 4 units to make it worth my while to pay the property managers.  I've found some 4 unit properties for under 200k, which is unheard of in Minneapolis.   I'm willing to hear any tidbits that you wish someone had shared with you about the area and the market when you were just starting your journey! 

Thank you in advance!