Why do so many invest in Indy

[Fred Ewert]

I am finding that you get more for your money in Fort Wayne, South Bend, Goshen, etc. Why are more people not investing in these smaller cities?

I am keeping an eye out for a live in duplex in all of the cities of Indiana. I would like to know if there are concerns living/investing in these smaller towns.

I am just guessing that people speculate that prices in Little Flower or Irvington will sky rocket in the coming years whereas no neighborhoods in the smaller cities of Indiana would do this?

[Jameson Drew]

I've been buying in Muncie for years.  I get properties from tax sale.  Not every B class city is the same in Indiana, however.

In cities without large factories or colleges, your units will be purchased for much less, but sit empty much longer. Furthermore, if you need repair work done, the options for various items like flooring or roofing are limited to maybe one or two contractors nearby.

Muncie and Anderson are centered around both manufacturing and large colleges (Ball State and Anderson College). They are also surrounded by farm land.  Muncie in particular has a large regional hospital and a transport hub.  This characteristic is shared by a few other cities like Fort Wayne, South Bend and Bloomington.  It also has dramatically lower taxes than the states surround it.

The downside to these areas are the downsides to Indiana in general. Public schools are a mess.  Heroin use is rampant.  Section 8 tenants are more common than usual.  Some smaller town governments can be inept or corrupt (the mayor of Muncie in under FBI investigation).  Hands need to be greased, and projects babysat longer. Choices for competent property management is sparse.