All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

Thanks for the great feedback Joe Villeneuve , I'll check out my results using some of your suggestions.

I'm looking for an area (in or near Maryland hopefully) that has a good rent to price ratio and some chance to appreciate. What areas in Maryland would you guys suggest?

Stanley Dean , also thanks for the heads up on the tenant base. Andrew Michael , thanks for the tips. I am looking for a mix of appreciation and cash flow, so maybe Hagerstown isn't quite a great fit. Robert Fountain , that's great information. What kind of problems has the city caused for you? Russell Brazil , telling it like it is!

Stanley Dean , I looked at data on the census. You can find it at http://factfinder.census.gov/ I compared it to average values for other "urbanized areas".

Hey Investors,

I'm looking for a place to invest in Maryland, and Hagerstown might be attractive to me.  There's good job growth, population growth, falling house prices, low vacancy, and reasonable taxes.  Does anybody here have any experience in that area?

I'm also happy to share some of the results.  Here's the 400 I looked at.

Rank	City	Normalized
1	San Angelo, TX	100.0%
2	Joplin, MO	93.5%
3	Lafayette, IN	90.6%
4	Beaumont, TX	89.1%
5	St. George, UT	87.6%
6	Abilene, TX	86.2%
7	College Station--Bryan, TX	85.5%
8	Jackson, TN	84.3%
9	Greeley, CO	83.0%
10	Dalton, GA	82.6%
11	Waco, TX	82.5%
12	Springfield, OH	80.6%
13	Coeur d'Alene, ID	79.8%
14	St. Cloud, MN	79.3%
15	Greenville, SC	79.0%
16	Fayetteville--Springdale--Rogers, AR--MO	78.9%
17	Deltona, FL	78.1%
18	Madera, CA	77.8%
19	Billings, MT	77.3%
20	Charlottesville, VA	77.2%
21	North Port--Port Charlotte, FL	76.7%
22	Rock Hill, SC	76.5%
23	Odessa, TX	76.4%
24	Anderson, SC	76.4%
25	Turlock, CA	75.9%
26	Alexandria, LA	75.6%
27	Gainesville, GA	75.6%
28	Muncie, IN	75.4%
29	Lawton, OK	75.4%
30	Cleveland, TN	75.3%
31	Hagerstown, MD--WV--PA	75.2%
32	Idaho Falls, ID	75.0%
33	Rocky Mount, NC	75.0%
34	Spring Hill, FL	74.2%
35	Lubbock, TX	74.1%
36	Temple, TX	74.0%
37	Nashville-Davidson, TN	73.9%
38	Muskegon, MI	73.2%
39	Corpus Christi, TX	73.1%
40	Midland, TX	72.9%
41	Fort Collins, CO	72.4%
42	Lake Charles, LA	72.4%
43	Lincoln, NE	72.2%
44	St. Joseph, MO--KS	72.1%
45	Bristol--Bristol, TN--VA	72.1%
46	Fargo, ND--MN	71.7%
47	Anderson, IN	71.7%
48	Duluth, MN--WI	71.7%
49	Prescott Valley--Prescott, AZ	71.6%
50	Cape Coral, FL	71.6%
51	Anniston--Oxford, AL	71.3%
52	Spartanburg, SC	71.3%
53	Dallas--Fort Worth--Arlington, TX	71.0%
54	Morgantown, WV	71.0%
55	McKinney, TX	70.9%
56	Denver--Aurora, CO	70.8%
57	Hanford, CA	70.7%
58	Orlando, FL	70.7%
59	Lexington-Fayette, KY	70.6%
60	Houston, TX	70.5%
61	Elmira, NY	70.5%
62	Janesville, WI	70.4%
63	Slidell, LA	70.1%
64	Lake Jackson--Angleton, TX	70.1%
65	Lima, OH	70.0%
66	San Antonio, TX	70.0%
67	Austin, TX	70.0%
68	Jackson, MI	69.9%
69	Durham, NC	69.3%
70	Atlanta, GA	69.2%
71	Tampa--St. Petersburg, FL	69.2%
72	Athens-Clarke County, GA	69.2%
73	Charleston--North Charleston, SC	69.1%
74	Murfreesboro, TN	68.9%
75	Provo--Orem, UT	68.9%
76	Portsmouth, NH--ME	68.7%
77	Sioux City, IA--NE--SD	68.4%
78	Bloomington, IN	68.1%
79	Wausau, WI	68.1%
80	Kissimmee, FL	68.1%
81	Jacksonville, FL	67.9%
82	Kansas City, MO--KS	67.5%
83	Auburn, AL	67.4%
84	Green Bay, WI	67.4%
85	Blacksburg, VA	67.3%
86	Winter Haven, FL	67.2%
87	Marysville, WA	67.2%
88	Madison, WI	66.9%
89	Omaha, NE--IA	66.9%
90	Colorado Springs, CO	66.9%
91	Logan, UT	66.7%
92	Huntington, WV--KY--OH	66.7%
93	Fort Wayne, IN	66.6%
94	Kalamazoo, MI	66.6%
95	Laredo, TX	66.6%
96	Burlington, VT	66.6%
97	Sumter, SC	66.5%
98	Texas City, TX	66.5%
99	Gainesville, FL	66.4%
100	Oklahoma City, OK	66.3%
101	Weirton--Steubenville, WV--OH--PA	66.3%
102	Palm Bay--Melbourne, FL	66.1%
103	Clarksville, TN--KY	66.1%
104	Wichita Falls, TX	65.8%
105	Cheyenne, WY	65.7%
106	Knoxville, TN	65.6%
107	Greensboro, NC	65.6%
108	Dover--Rochester, NH--ME	65.5%
109	Macon, GA	65.3%
110	Springfield, MO	65.0%
111	Portland, ME	64.8%
112	Redding, CA	64.7%
113	Manchester, NH	64.6%
114	Reno, NV--CA	64.5%
115	Grand Rapids, MI	64.3%
116	Fort Smith, AR--OK	64.3%
117	Eau Claire, WI	64.1%
118	Bloomington--Normal, IL	64.1%
119	Decatur, IL	64.1%
120	Lynchburg, VA	63.9%
121	Port Arthur, TX	63.9%
122	Charlotte, NC--SC	63.8%
123	Concord, NC	63.8%
124	Antioch, CA	63.6%
125	Sheboygan, WI	63.4%
126	Leesburg--Eustis--Tavares, FL	63.3%
127	Phoenix--Mesa, AZ	63.1%
128	Boise City, ID	63.0%
129	Winchester, VA	62.7%
130	Wichita, KS	62.7%
131	Columbus, OH	62.5%
132	Tulsa, OK	62.4%
133	Tyler, TX	62.3%
134	Avondale--Goodyear, AZ	62.3%
135	Miami, FL	62.3%
136	Great Falls, MT	62.3%
137	Savannah, GA	62.2%
138	Brownsville, TX	62.2%
139	Salt Lake City--West Valley City, UT	62.1%
140	Portland, OR--WA	62.0%
141	Raleigh, NC	61.8%
142	Norman, OK	61.7%
143	Greenville, NC	61.3%
144	Parkersburg, WV--OH	61.3%
145	Fresno, CA	61.1%
146	Minneapolis--St. Paul, MN--WI	61.0%
147	Warner Robins, GA	61.0%
148	Lansing, MI	60.8%
149	Nampa, ID	60.5%
150	Mansfield, OH	60.5%
151	Bay City, MI	60.5%
152	Indianapolis, IN	60.4%
153	Bonita Springs, FL	60.4%
154	Johnstown, PA	60.4%
155	Ogden--Layton, UT	60.4%
156	Amarillo, TX	60.3%
157	Tuscaloosa, AL	60.1%
158	Syracuse, NY	60.0%
159	Lawrence, KS	59.9%
160	Las Vegas--Henderson, NV	59.7%
161	New Orleans, LA	59.7%
162	Scranton, PA	59.7%
163	York, PA	59.7%
164	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY--IN	59.7%
165	Lancaster, PA	59.5%
166	Champaign, IL	59.2%
167	Pensacola, FL--AL	59.2%
168	Denton--Lewisville, TX	59.0%
169	Jackson, MS	58.9%
170	Hemet, CA	58.9%
171	Salem, OR	58.7%
172	McAllen, TX	58.5%
173	Gastonia, NC--SC	58.5%
174	Appleton, WI	58.3%
175	South Lyon--Howell, MI	57.9%
176	Harrisburg, PA	57.9%
177	Newark, OH	57.8%
178	Richmond, VA	57.6%
179	Augusta-Richmond County, GA--SC	57.6%
180	Dayton, OH	57.4%
181	Johnson City, TN	57.4%
182	Cincinnati, OH--KY--IN	57.3%
183	Stockton, CA	57.1%
184	Milwaukee, WI	57.1%
185	Wilmington, NC	57.0%
186	High Point, NC	56.9%
187	Little Rock, AR	56.9%
188	Birmingham, AL	56.8%
189	Grand Junction, CO	56.8%
190	Tracy, CA	56.7%
191	Detroit, MI	56.7%
192	Seattle, WA	56.7%
193	Frederick, MD	56.7%
194	Gulfport, MS	56.6%
195	Ann Arbor, MI	56.4%
196	Middletown, OH	56.2%
197	State College, PA	56.1%
198	Lakeland, FL	56.1%
199	Pittsburgh, PA	55.9%
200	Florence, AL	55.7%
201	Waldorf, MD	55.7%
202	Jonesboro, AR	55.6%
203	Yakima, WA	55.5%
204	El Paso, TX--NM	55.5%
205	Harlingen, TX	55.4%
206	Memphis, TN--MS--AR	55.4%
207	Charleston, WV	55.2%
208	Port Huron, MI	55.2%
209	Davenport, IA--IL	55.2%
210	Port St. Lucie, FL	55.1%
211	Waterloo, IA	54.9%
212	Owensboro, KY	54.8%
213	Round Lake Beach--McHenry--Grayslake, IL--WI	54.8%
214	Bremerton, WA	54.8%
215	Racine, WI	54.8%
216	Burlington, NC	54.8%
217	Conway, AR	54.7%
218	Flint, MI	54.7%
219	Youngstown, OH--PA	54.7%
220	St. Louis, MO--IL	54.7%
221	Toledo, OH--MI	54.5%
222	Missoula, MT	54.5%
223	Buffalo, NY	54.3%
224	Dothan, AL	54.3%
225	Oshkosh, WI	54.2%
226	Canton, OH	54.1%
227	Columbia, SC	54.1%
228	Salinas, CA	54.0%
229	Dover, DE	53.8%
230	Eugene, OR	53.7%
231	Mobile, AL	53.6%
232	Sarasota--Bradenton, FL	53.5%
233	La Crosse, WI--MN	53.4%
234	Modesto, CA	53.3%
235	Santa Fe, NM	53.1%
236	Sioux Falls, SD	53.0%
237	Jacksonville, NC	52.9%
238	Santa Maria, CA	52.8%
239	Holland, MI	52.7%
240	Winston-Salem, NC	52.5%
241	Medford, OR	52.3%
242	Terre Haute, IN	52.3%
243	Wheeling, WV--OH	52.3%
244	Allentown, PA--NJ	52.3%
245	Columbia, MO	52.2%
246	Altoona, PA	52.1%
247	Palm Coast--Daytona Beach--Port Orange, FL	52.1%
248	Visalia, CA	52.0%
249	Rapid City, SD	51.8%
250	Lafayette, LA	51.8%
251	Evansville, IN--KY	51.7%
252	Rochester, MN	51.6%
253	Michigan City--La Porte, IN--MI	51.3%
254	Tallahassee, FL	51.2%
255	Fort Walton Beach--Navarre--Wright, FL	50.9%
256	Springfield, IL	50.9%
257	Vacaville, CA	50.6%
258	Salisbury, MD--DE	50.6%
259	Elkhart, IN--MI	50.4%
260	Conroe--The Woodlands, TX	50.0%
261	Virginia Beach, VA	49.6%
262	Saginaw, MI	49.6%
263	Houma, LA	49.2%
264	Lodi, CA	49.1%
265	Lee's Summit, MO	49.1%
266	Akron, OH	49.0%
267	Baltimore, MD	48.9%
268	Columbus, GA--AL	48.9%
269	Pueblo, CO	48.8%
270	Bakersfield, CA	48.7%
271	Sacramento, CA	48.7%
272	Baton Rouge, LA	48.6%
273	Erie, PA	48.5%
274	Montgomery, AL	48.5%
275	Bellingham, WA	48.5%
276	Des Moines, IA	48.3%
277	El Centro--Calexico, CA	48.2%
278	Kenosha, WI--IL	48.1%
279	Chattanooga, TN--GA	47.6%
280	Springfield, MA--CT	47.4%
281	Cleveland, OH	47.4%
282	Spokane, WA	47.3%
283	Albany--Schenectady, NY	47.3%
284	Tucson, AZ	47.1%
285	Providence, RI--MA	47.1%
286	Leominster--Fitchburg, MA	47.0%
287	Longview, TX	46.8%
288	Lafayette--Louisville--Erie, CO	46.8%
289	Olympia--Lacey, WA	46.7%
290	Victoria, TX	46.6%
291	South Bend, IN--MI	46.5%
292	Longmont, CO	46.5%
293	Bowling Green, KY	46.4%
294	Nashua, NH--MA	46.2%
295	Murrieta--Temecula--Menifee, CA	46.2%
296	Kennewick--Pasco, WA	46.1%
297	DeKalb, IL	46.1%
298	Roanoke, VA	46.1%
299	Hanover, PA	46.0%
300	Simi Valley, CA	45.9%
301	Florence, SC	45.6%
302	Alton, IL--MO	45.5%
303	Decatur, AL	45.4%
304	Boston, MA--NH--RI	45.2%
305	Fairfield, CA	45.2%
306	Lancaster--Palmdale, CA	45.0%
307	Albany, GA	45.0%
308	Texarkana--Texarkana, TX--AR	44.9%
309	Rochester, NY	44.8%
310	Binghamton, NY--PA	44.8%
311	Riverside--San Bernardino, CA	44.7%
312	Topeka, KS	44.6%
313	Bend, OR	44.6%
314	Worcester, MA--CT	44.2%
315	Fayetteville, NC	44.1%
316	Santa Rosa, CA	44.1%
317	Homosassa Springs--Beverly Hills--Citrus Springs, FL	44.0%
318	Albuquerque, NM	43.9%
319	Panama City, FL	43.9%
320	Chicago, IL--IN	43.8%
321	Flagstaff, AZ	43.6%
322	Rockford, IL	43.5%
323	Shreveport, LA	43.5%
324	Philadelphia, PA--NJ--DE--MD	43.5%
325	Lebanon, PA	43.4%
326	Kingsport, TN--VA	43.2%
327	Mauldin--Simpsonville, SC	43.1%
328	Asheville, NC	42.8%
329	Washington, DC--VA--MD	42.7%
330	Iowa City, IA	42.4%
331	Victorville--Hesperia, CA	42.4%
332	Hartford, CT	42.3%
333	Huntsville, AL	41.9%
334	Cedar Rapids, IA	41.9%
335	Manteca, CA	41.7%
336	Las Cruces, NM	41.2%
337	Anchorage, AK	41.0%
338	Napa, CA	40.4%
339	Vineland, NJ	39.8%
340	Dubuque, IA--IL	39.7%
341	Killeen, TX	39.5%
342	Porterville, CA	39.3%
343	San Diego, CA	39.0%
344	Danbury, CT--NY	39.0%
345	Reading, PA	38.9%
346	Elizabethtown--Radcliff, KY	38.5%
347	Lorain--Elyria, OH	38.4%
348	Indio--Cathedral City, CA	38.3%
349	Barnstable Town, MA	38.2%
350	Yuba City, CA	38.0%
351	Yuma, AZ--CA	38.0%
352	Battle Creek, MI	37.6%
353	Fredericksburg, VA	36.9%
354	Merced, CA	36.8%
355	New Haven, CT	36.2%
356	Ocala, FL	35.9%
357	Vallejo, CA	35.1%
358	Hilton Head Island, SC	34.9%
359	Oxnard, CA	34.9%
360	New Bedford, MA	34.9%
361	Los Angeles--Long Beach--Anaheim, CA	34.7%
362	Hickory, NC	34.6%
363	Sebastian--Vero Beach South--Florida Ridge, FL	33.7%
364	Aberdeen--Bel Air South--Bel Air North, MD	33.5%
365	New York--Newark, NY--NJ--CT	33.5%
366	Santa Clarita, CA	33.2%
367	Pottstown, PA	33.1%
368	Kankakee, IL	33.0%
369	Peoria, IL	32.2%
370	Boulder, CO	31.2%
371	Casper, WY	30.6%
372	Norwich--New London, CT--RI	30.6%
373	Harrisonburg, VA	30.5%
374	Chico, CA	30.1%
375	Utica, NY	29.8%
376	Monroe, LA	29.6%
377	Urban Honolulu, HI	29.0%
378	Davis, CA	28.6%
379	Pocatello, ID	28.6%
380	Seaside--Monterey, CA	28.5%
381	Carbondale, IL	28.5%
382	Valdosta, GA	27.8%
383	Waterbury, CT	27.7%
384	San Francisco--Oakland, CA	27.6%
385	Poughkeepsie--Newburgh, NY--NJ	27.4%
386	Trenton, NJ	27.1%
387	Gilroy--Morgan Hill, CA	25.2%
388	Bridgeport--Stamford, CT--NY	24.3%
389	Atlantic City, NJ	21.8%
390	Myrtle Beach--Socastee, SC--NC	19.8%
391	Thousand Oaks, CA	19.2%
392	San Jose, CA	17.8%
393	Hattiesburg, MS	16.6%
394	Mission Viejo--Lake Forest--San Clemente, CA	15.5%
395	Mandeville--Covington, LA	14.6%
396	Westminster--Eldersburg, MD	13.9%
397	Concord, CA	13.6%
398	Williamsburg, VA	9.9%
399	Santa Cruz, CA	6.2%
400	Santa Barbara, CA	0.0%

Hey Bigger pockets,

I'm working on a project to use data to compare US cities rental markets. Please take a look and let me know what you think.  I am using the following categories:

• 1 Yr Job Growth
• 3 Yr Job Growth
• Current Unemployment Rate
• 1 Yr Unemployment Rate Growth
• 3 Yr Unemployment Rate Growth
• 1 Yr Median Income Growth
• 3 Yr Median Income Growth
• Current Gross Median Rent
• 1 Yr Gross Median Rent Growth
• 3 Yr Gross Median Rent Growth
• 1 Yr Population Growth
• 3 Yr Population Growth
• Current % Rent vacancy
• Current % renters
• Current Affordability (% people paying less than 35% income to rent)
• Current Median owner occupied home value
• 1 Yr growth median owner occupied home value
• 3 Yr growth median owner occupied home value
• Current Rent to Price (median gross rent / median owner occupied home value)

For each metric, I look at what's average and what's best. The average cities are given no points, and the best are awarded 100% points. I then add the points from each category and rank the cities. An average city would get zero points and the best would have the most. Some categories are worth more points than others.

Am I missing anything? Am I looking at too much economic data? Which categories are more important than others?

Hey @Account Closed, could you share with me what your criteria are or what successful real estate investors would use?

For rent growth, would I expect to see this as RTP growth or specifically gross rental income growth?  If it matches inflation (~3%) is that good enough?  What's your target?

@Devin Hedgepeth, I'm trying to develop my buy-and-hold SFR criteria as well. What did you end up choosing for yourself? I think for me it'll be the following

• Good neighborhood with a B-C type property. I am still trying to narrow it down to a particular city first.  I think B-C means working to middle class.  This seems like a nice balance of cash-flow and appreciation.
• 1%+ RTP
• 20% cap rate (not sure if this is feasible, but others suggest they reach 20%+).
• Probably SFR for my first property
• Not too much in initial repairs required

@Claudio Trevisan, what criteria did you end up deciding on for yourself?  Also, could you share with me the analysis spreadsheet please?  Thanks!