You can have crime zones and depressed areas with low median income scattered about without being in your sweet spot.

My strategy was to fix up all units to make them rental ready, try to make back the profits from renting, and then eventually sell to  purchase something more closer.Since Dayton OH market is depressed would you guys suggest even putting the money in for a rehab and possibly flip with tenants or just selling ASAP without rehab or realtor help, get back what I can and get out of Ohio.

My knowledge of the Bay Area market is limited, but isn't Oakland still relatively a depressed real estate area in terms of prices?

If the area is not depressed there are many options.

Had to hold the property too.If you deal with the elderly, you'll get this, they may not really be hoarders as we think of them, but going through the depression meant you didn't through away a piece of sting that could be used for a shoe lace.

Land prices in our area are depressed because no one is building houses.  

I then spent two years saving up $30k of capital, and finally jumped in with three investment properties in 2011 and 2012 when the market was depressed and interest rates were low.

I'm sure after the 2008-2010 "recession that was more like a depression" there are many out there who got hit hard and are wondering how to pick up the pieces again.

However, the potential for long term growth and the rents to purchase price ratio seems much better than the Bay Area (and much less risky than being a economically depressed place like Stockton where prices are much cheaper).Anyone have any experience or thoughts about these areas of Sacramento?

I have relatives living in that area, it's very depressed.