Is Riverside Ca A Good Place To Invest? (Residential)

[Nathan Walden]

I'm a new investor that is trying to get started with residential properties and Riverside, CA is one of the cities I'm thinking about buying a property in. I visited Riverside a week ago and looked at the neighborhoods. I'm considering Riverside for the following reasons:

1. I've read from different websites that job growth in the area is expected to outpace Silicon Valley 
2. It is close to where I live (I live in OC)
3. I have heard from a few people I know that there are people moving there due to the high cost of living in OC and LA 

However, I'm a little unsure if investing there would be the right choice because I do not know how likely it would be getting a good tenant fast and I have also read that evictions can be a giant headache in CA. I realize that there are other cities in the country that are better to invest in such as Orlando, FL and Charlotte, NC but unfortunately I am unable to invest in areas that far (not yet at least). I am also looking into Phoenix, AZ for investment properties too. I'm not looking for the best rental markets but markets that work favorably (but of course if I end up in one of the best markets that is a plus). Does anyone have much experience with renting and investing in that area? Also, what research can I do for myself to help me be a better investor? I try to research job growth and population growth for cities. I also look on sites such as Forbes and Business Insider about the best markets however, I would prefer to be more self sufficient than relying on blog posts from entrepreneur sites. I also listen to the Bigger Pockets podcasts when I can.

[Sam M.]

I have a 3-plex in Riverside. I purchased it at the right time (2010) so the cash flow is good. I wanted to reply just to comment on your concern about getting tenants. My property is not in the best area of Riverside - it’s a  place that I would not send my family members at night time. Still I have never had trouble finding good tenants with decent credit scores and good income. Finding tenants will not be a problem in my experience. I believe the challenge will be finding a property that has an acceptable cap-rate. Thanks for your post - it makes me want to loo in Riverside for more properties too :-)