Get to know the market, understand the current cap rates, rent rates, rent trends, affordability rates, population growth, job growth, etc. 

A few things could reveal demand - vacant housing rate in the area, population growth trend, recent and future job growth. 2.

Being new to long term rentals, I am finding that the Colorado Springs market is fantastic for long term buy and holds (increase in the tenant population, military population, etc).

@Javontai Shamburger I've personally never taken any of those 3 day masterclass's but from friends I've heard it's pretty much a scam.Find a few people here on BP or IG that populate free content.

At my age it's no longer possible for me to underestimate the gullibility of the general population.....  

Pretty sure the population of my town is right at 6k as well!

Unless the area has a high senior population I'd probably go with the tub. 

Hello all,I have been trying to study new real estate markets, as I believe the one I live in is declining in population. 

@Thomas WhittleseyHere is a resource that may help you with your searchIt's a spreadsheet that lists all the incorporated places over 10k in population contained within the East South Central and South Atlantic Divisions of the USA.Cities in South Comparison SpreadsheetI have ordered all the cities by median home values since you stated you are interested in properties under 100kI have also included the rent to price ratio for each area as well as two metrics that correlate with gentrification (educational attainment and poverty rate)Once you have filtered you search down to a few cities, I suggest looking into the sub markets for each of them. 

I believe that the US population as a whole is not as financially literate as we should be.