I hadn't read the Baltimore story before...wow.Hi Sathiya, some thoughts: - attend in person meet ups in the Boston area to talk to other investors who buy locally and out of state to get their feedback and maybe consider looking within a 2 to 3 hour drive. - cash flow is difficult now with long term rentals even if you pick markets that have lower purchase prices than Boston.

Hi Alaina, Go to the NHREIA meetings, their next one is this Weds in Manchester, awesome group.

I am sure some will do it with phone and e mail etc.. but I suspect they miss the best deals.Just like top wholesalers they have buying agents when a lead comes in that buying agent is over to the house and meeting with the folks ASAP so they can lock it up.. if they are non owner occ then yes this is different but now your talking about investors as sellers different mind set .  

. :-))But yes, I could take a $200k or $300k tax free loan every year on the appreciation if I couldn’t manage to make ends meet at $20k/mo.

The best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and ensure your property meets them before your initial inspection.

Check out the events and meetups section for meet ups in your area, they are a great way to connect with local investors. 

Chicago’s market might not always meet this, but it’s a good benchmark for evaluation.What are your thoughts on starting with a house hack or using a HELOC to fund your first deal?

They’ll check if your property, zoned R5, allows a curb cut and ensure it meets zoning regulations.

So when you need to go check on things, rent units, meet contractors, etc, you're jumping in the car for 6 hours, spending 1hr there, and I'm thinking after a full days's work. 

I purchased a home 2.5 years ago utilizing the New York First Homebuyers Club which gives you approximately 8k in grants if you meet certain criteria, which I did.