Learn a LOT about investing out of state.Research the market you are going into and figure out the best markets.Make connections in those markets and vet those connections.Save up more money and move up from the war zone and go to a $30,000 to $50,000 minimum market where there is less crime, less vacant lots and vacant houses, where the police will actually respond to a call from a homeowner, where there are jobs for your tenants to work at, where there are schools for your tenants to send their children, where there are real grocery stores for them to buy real food (not gas station or fast food).  

Office buildings...Would it be good for fast food or bank where you could land lease them the property and they would develop it and your colleague would just sit back and collect check.As you can see there are a bunch of scenarios you can throw out there but it all starts with the zoning of the property and what is allowed under current zoning laws unless you wanted to go through a zoning variance proceeding.

Cook county has some funny regulations and I want to be in my right to get him out.

Appreciation does not pay the bills or put food on the table.

It just seems to make sense to get out of Illinois (especially Cook County) with outrageous property taxes, the new soda tax, and speculation of another rise in property taxes soon.

You want a product as food or better than the homes you are using as comparables.Without seeing your project I'd be very tempted to gut the exterior walls at least so I could insulate.

I'd avoid Cook (Crooks) county but the rest of the state is pretty decent!

Necessary Cleaning to get unit back to move in condition, all at a rate of $18.00/hour: Remove cat food from carport, attracts rodents Total Cleaning Cost: $9.00Total amount to get unit back to move in condition: a.

@James Riley Cook Your best bet is to talk to a mortgage broker instead of a bank.

Food is always an important thing when I am looking to travel to a new place so  that played a part in the decision making as well.