Two lessons I have learned: 1) CashFlow is critical and 2) Sometimes it’s good to sell when things are going well- I bet you weren’t considering selling when it was worth $2.7M.  

I'll bet the whole town is breathing the stuff.

I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years.

I bet you are more like 3-4%. 3) Would you take a significant capital gain hit if you sold? 

That’s the best bet.

I bet the house we are looking at would be similar to the 30 year smoker's house.

Name brands with solid balance sheets are generally a better bet, still one can't forget the big fall too, so diligence is just as key with big names and cut them zero slack.

I imagine it's similar to St Louis but I'd be willing to bet it has more going for it and better appreciation.Happy to share some resources, learnings, and even history/performance of my rentals I've had for 5+ years.

Our beaches will always draw plenty of visitors in my opinion and are a safer bet because of limited land and fewer properties available to convert to STR. 

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies that spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.