I learned how to choose a good market to invest in (population growth, job growth/diversity, etc).

We have a diverse, growing, upscale economy and lots of well-paying corporate jobs.Things are slowing right now, as they are across the country, but our diverse metro Phoenix economy will help us rebound when COVID 19 reverses course.

I live in more diverse area of town. 

What you should spend your time looking at are market fundamentals such as supply and demand, the strength and diversity of your local economy, and the laws and political trends that are impacting being a land lord.  

For awhile Philadelphia was the best kept secret for a lot of NY investors but as of the last few years there has been a ton of NY money being dumped into philly, especially now because of the Rent control laws that passed here, but there are still deals out there. snap shot of philly - Steady population growth yr over yr - Steady job growth yr over yr - Diverse economy  ( top 3 health care, education & tourism )- Location...  2hrs from NYC "financial hub of the country" &  2(1/2) from Washington DC " the political of hub of the country.

@Yuval MolchoLooking for a diverse local economy that isn't dominated by one industry. 

Looking at job growth, population growth, economic diversity, and relative pricing, led me to settle on San Antonio when I was making a similar decision a couple of years ago.

The diversity is amazing, but then again the headache of tenant personality conflicts and other juvenile complaints is something that would deter me.

There has been incredibly strong job growth here since the last recession and there is a great diversity of jobs, as well.

Low cost of entry, diverse economy, stable values throughout previous recessions, the list goes on.