We had investors questioning whether or not it was smart to invest in an area with such high crime. 

Seems smart at first glance.

Hi Sean,Given your situation, partnering with an experienced investor could be smart.

I wouldn't buy into that as a smart strategy. 99 percent of wholesalers fail and another .05 percent flail.

If you want the remote convenience for yourself you should consider a "smart home" type control for the fan which lets you use your cell phone to control it.

Therefore you should not need to change service panels, since since mini's are such low current devices(comparatively).

Come on, the smart money is betting on a dip or if no dip you lock in high yield debt funds at the turn of the rates and investing in small cap areas that need to tighten to the large cap ratio wise.

Would it be smart for us to sale our primary, take the equity, buy our family home, then begin saving to buy our first rental property?

Hold forever, or at least until you are smart enough to know when to sell.

Northern Virginia can indeed have a high barrier to entry, so exploring out-of-state options is a smart move, especially for first-time investors with a smaller budget.