I plan to start my investing journey with an owner occupied multi-family in Albany or the surrounding cities.

Part of this is regulations in my city, but after having done it this way, I wouldn't ever want to do it with a single family home.

In some of the big cities (speaking in Canada), you have people who want to live in Toronto or Vancouver, but they can't afford the rent with their lifestyle...and they don't want to move.   

Quote from @Sofia De Santos Tavarez: Hello, my husband and I are looking to do our first rehab in a different city than where we live (we live in Austin and looking to buy in El Paso), and are wondering how one determines and writes a scope of work and determine what material to buy for what.

The two countries may seem similar, but they are so different and I say that with my sister's family (who are American) sitting in the same room as me right now.For housing, I can't think of many Canadian cities where you can buy a house under $100K (or even $200K).

Which cities and areas do you think have the greatest potential for appreciation?

Not really a growth city in my opinion. 

My husband and I were very lucky, as price in our city were beginning to rise.

The fact that you’re leveraging your background in property management and deal analysis is huge, especially in a city where margins can be tight, but the upside is massive. 

A few months ago I recall seeing a new email about Airbnb partnering with apartments in select cities where the apartments and city already pre-approved the ability to short term rent.