Chattanooga SFH/Commercial Investment

[Dasia Washington]

I am ready to purchase my first few properties in Chattanooga.

I travel to Chatt fairly often but would like to have a more solid feel for the area in terms of where to place my first investment, I am currently looking in Red Bank.

Though I don’t plan to rent immediately..I will likely house hack for a year (ideally with a MIL suite or basement) and rent it out afterwards while I then focus on getting a stronger foothold in wholesaling.
Cash flow being the goal after all expenses.

I'm currently looking at SFH, or even commercial buildings/flex that have been zoned for residential. Between 200-300k with a rehab budget of 10-15k if needed.

I’d love any recommendations from anyone with consistent boots on where to narrow down the search?

Additionally, I will be back in Chatt this week and the next viewing properties, I’d like to hire a contractor to accompany if possible.

 Any contractor recommendations to assist with determining rehab costs for these properties would also be extremely helpful. Thank you!