We are flexible on the location to a certain degree, but would not want to go south of the perimeter. 

Hi Michael,I like your thoughts of building a large portfolio because it's very important in sub $100,000 markets like Ohio.A large portfolio = A safe portfolio.Personally, I've always been a big believer in buying with cash.Less is more.Once you gain experience and understanding the true income vs expenses of your portfolio.Then look at using leverage for faster growth.It takes many years to learn a market along with establishing a solid understanding of it's "in's and out's" from a people/team perspective.As investors we should always reverse engineer and protect the bottom line first and foremost before looking toward expansion and growth.My "cash only" mentality has served me well over the years in my businesses and real estate endeavors.Especially when things turned South and they always eventually do.Start slow, start small, buy with cash and build from there.Just my opinion and wishing you much successps.

It's all good, until the deal goes south.

Texas added nearly half a million people, a 1.5% gain, or three times the national average. 2023 2022-2023 % Population State Population Change Change (2022–23) South Carolina 5,373,555 90,600 1.71% Florida 22,610,726 365,205 1.64% Texas 30,503,301 473,453 1.58% Idaho 1,964,726 25,730 1.33% North Carolina 10,835,491 139,526 1.30% Delaware 1,031,890 12,431 1.22% District of Columbia** 678,972 8,023 1.20% Tennessee 7,126,489 77,513 1.10% Utah 3,417,734 36,498 1.08% Georgia 11,029,227 116,077 1.06% South Dakota 919,318 9,449 1.04% Arizona 7,431,344 65,660 0.89% Montana 1,132,812 9,934 0.88% Oklahoma 4,053,824 34,553 0.86% Arkansas 3,067,732 21,328 0.70% Alabama 5,108,468 34,565 0.68% North Dakota 783,926 5,014 0.64% Colorado 5,877,610 36,571 0.63% Nevada 3,194,176 16,755 0.53% Nebraska 1,978,379 10,319 0.52% Maine 1,395,722 6,384 0.46% Indiana 6,862,199 29,925 0.44% Wyoming 584,057 2,428 0.42% Virginia 8,715,698 36,599 0.42% Minnesota 5,737,915 23,615 0.41% Washington 7,812,880 28,403 0.36% Wisconsin 5,910,955 20,412 0.35% Kentucky 4,526,154 14,591 0.32% New Jersey 9,290,841 30,024 0.32% Missouri 6,196,156 18,988 0.31% Massachusetts 7,001,399 18,659 0.27% Maryland 6,180,253 16,272 0.26% Iowa 3,207,004 7,311 0.23% Connecticut 3,617,176 8,470 0.23% New Hampshire 1,402,054 3,051 0.22% Ohio 11,785,935 26,238 0.22% Rhode Island 1,095,962 2,120 0.19% Kansas 2,940,546 3,830 0.13% Vermont 647,464 354 0.05% New Mexico 2,114,371 895 0.04% Michigan 10,037,261 3,980 0.04% Mississippi 2,939,690 762 0.03% Alaska 733,406 130 0.02% Loss Pennsylvania 12,961,683 -10,408 -0.08% Oregon 4,233,358 -6,021 -0.14% California 38,965,193 -75,423 -0.19% West Virginia 1,770,071 -3,964 -0.22% Illinois 12,549,689 -32,826 -0.26% Hawaii 1,435,138 -4,261 -0.30% Louisiana 4,573,749 -14,274 -0.31% Puerto Rico* 3,205,691 -14,422 -0.45% New York 19,571,216 -101,984 -0.52%

Currently the pilot areas are restricted to designated pilots on the North, Northwest, West, South and Southeast sides. 

Mostly in the South (which includes Florida and Texas), where prices soared during the pandemic and inventory levels have already recovered to well above pre-pandemic levels.III: Existing Home SalesMost forecasters (including me) expected more of a rebound in existing home sales in 2024.

For at least half of nearly forty years life I've lived and invested in property within a block or short walk to the beach in South Florida, Southern California, Southern Oregon and Northern Baja Mexico. 

If you are looking for slow appreciation and high cash flow, look at the midwest and part of the south.

And my Vet he is a big surfer so his unit is down south in a condo complex..

The water in the Intracoastal in South Florida is much higher at high tide than it was when I was a kid, the summers ARE hotter and the winters are shorter.