Area must have over 1 million people with mass transit/easy commute, area must have 80% workforce penetration either working or actively looking for work, and the area must have a vibrant tech based higher educational system.The cities are:BostonDallas (sorry Austin) PhiladelphiaHere is why I think these are the markets to beat and why others are not on the top three list.Pros:Boston has Harvard, MIT, Brown, BC, and UMASS is not far away either (Best).

One very fascinating tell was a  borrower who owns a $20mm property and is delinquent on a $4 Million Interest-Only mortgage in a very vibrant, big city.

hate it when any website has no number. that a clear message saying ''Hi we dont give damn about you email us  because we  really dont want to talk to you'' which is why i love the chase sapphire card yes ill pay $95 a year someone to answer the phone when i call 

I read on here that there are some parts of it that are reviving and are quite hot markets.The suburbs are a totally different story- several of them are very vibrant economically and socially.

Just adding to the topic, I last hung out in the area back in June after Social Grounds Coffee Shop and Hyperion Brewing opened and it was already feeling pretty vibrant.

I'd definitely explore some of the more vibrant parts of the city (Brady St., Lower East Side, etc.) and see what you can find.  

Also, I would say don't get married to just one strategy ... in dynamic, vibrant, and highly profitable markets like SoCal, the market is always shifting, which makes some opportunities more attractive and others less attractive ... the best long term professional investors I know in this market have the ability to shift their strategy as the market shifts to take advantage of the best opportunities available at the time, while still hedging their bets to protect their downside if the market shifts away from them on stuff they already own.

I see the future of real estate investing as one where the landlord makes a unit deeply integrated in the community and location, a trendy, vibrant home that transforms it from just a boring unit to more of a community hangout spot. 

Our property is in the mountains of Sapphire, NC and our brand is Once Upon a Stream. 

I own an adjacent lot next to my VR in Sapphire, NC and I was considering building a log cabin on it.