Any suggestions on areas in Alabama to invest in

[Donald Todd]

New to the game. Just wanted some direction in areas to start looking & possibly invest!!

[Melissa Nash]

Agree w/ @Jason Carter

@Donald Todd

@Jason Carter

upfront: I both buy and sell in AL. I have my own portfolio and I do work with investors here and other markets across the US. I would recommend focusing on your strategy first-- instead of going backwards and spending a lot of time on markets that aren't part of your strategy. 
What is most important to you in your investment?  Cashflow? Growth? Hybrid. Once you determine what your main strategy is-- then add price. Does your budget work there with the area you will be buying in? For example a $100k property in Texas is not the same as a $100k property in Alabama. you get a lot more bang for you buck in Alabama. You go to Alabama to cashflow- that's it. Its very linear historically. 

Investors ask me all the time- what is the best market? What is the hot market. That impossible to answer because everyone has different strategies and 1 market might be good for you-- but not for someone else. 

If you want some of the highest cashflow in the country-- yes Alabama is one of them. But don't get too excited about the appreciation there, its always been linear. 

Then that's the other question that comes in--- what type of neighborhood should I be in? Again that is personal preference and experience. 

I would NEVER recommend a new investor to invest in C- and below without knowing all the potential issues that could come with the type of tenant that property would attract. I don't like properties under $70k for new investors in any market. Sometimes those are the properties with awesome returns and look shiny on paper- but end up being a nightmare of costs. On the reverse, sometimes it does end up amazing if you get a "forever tenant" out of those. But the later is more rare. Save those riskier properties once you have a more solid portfolio- add them over time if you want. 

Overall- As a new investor- start with strategy first, then your budget and the rest will fall into place. Hit me me up if you want to dive deeper!