Overall, investors are expecting a lot of appreciation in this market, based on high demand to live here, low unemployment, and a strong & diverse economy.

Up and coming close to beaches, shopping, culture activities, restaurants, etc. in a growing and desirable town (St.

So instead of 'development and multi-family', start with 'networking, service, reading spreadsheets/analyzing, connecting with people, managing projects, etc....' basically write out whatever you really enjoy doing OR whatever skill you want to acquire... and find a job in RE that matches. because RE is so diverse and people oriented, you're bound to find something that suits you. 

Now I think the answers as to why someone in NJ should invest in Cincinnati would go something like this: -people live there-big companies live there-urban neighborhoods are gentrifying-affordable living -diversity of neighborhoods--some good for flips, some good for consistent appreciation, and there are still plenty of C-D areas that show good returns on paper that people from NY and CA love to gobble up-major airport-major research university-we have Skyline Chili-Pete Rose is from here-Our Roebling Bridge is your Brooklyn Bridge's father-Goetta

Separating from the military is a challenging culture and social change that I understand very well as a veteran.

I love the mentality and culture of the community. 

I'm also working in a corporate culture that is a case study in Dysfunction.

I have always been somewhat interested in real estate investing, but like most people, didn’t know how diverse and flexible it could be.

I prefer Primary and Secondary markets because of the diversity of industries\jobs, higher population growth potential, higher income potential, amenities, and the data collected\available to analyze. 

Things to look for are culture, energy, training, commission splits and support and coaching.