The secret for the standard rehabber is estimating isn't really estimating. 

For awhile Philadelphia was the best kept secret for a lot of NY investors but as of the last few years there has been a ton of NY money being dumped into philly, especially now because of the Rent control laws that passed here, but there are still deals out there. snap shot of philly - Steady population growth yr over yr - Steady job growth yr over yr - Diverse economy  ( top 3 health care, education & tourism )- Location...  2hrs from NYC "financial hub of the country" &  2(1/2) from Washington DC " the political of hub of the country.

It will sharpen your BS detector so you will avoid paying big money to learn common sense 101 "strategies" and "secrets" packaged with a lot of hype.Anyway, that's all I've got for now. 

There are no secrets in this business.

Afterwards, I further my criminal justice career by becoming a US Secret Service Police Officer.

No secret to success, just gotta do the dirty work.

This is our "secret sauce". 1.

I would keep it a secret until after closing and then take advantage of the low interest rates by opening a HELOC.

The secret is finding a good agent. 

A secret spot to consider would be Point Loma, it abuts the airport, has old school charm, incredible new Liberty Station mega multi-use complex of restaurants and shops, and some awesome big remodeled homes, you could get a ton for $4M.