I recently worked on an off-market deal here that turned into a great BRRRR success, proving how the right team and strategy can create equity and cash flow, even from a distance.If you ever need help analyzing deals or navigating the OKC market, I’d love to connect and assist however I can.

The investor has to be gaining cash flow or equity to make it worth it.

The math behind Real Estate is not that complicated, Revenue - expenses and debt service = cash flow. 

The school is very good, but middle is not so much.I have some cash to invest, but can't decide what route to take.

Hope is a bad strategy.The only on market strategy that I think can work is paying cash/line of credit/hard money for a property that does not qualify for conventional financing.

Run cash flow numbers.  

I plan on getting a property every year until I retire if I can find a good deal that cash flows positively.I have a very close friend whose stationed in Columbus GA whose a real estate investor and owns rentals there!

I think an investor can find a nice property there that will cash flow and potentially appreciate.My issue is that the OP mentions that she disqualified Baltimore because the city had a declining population but was still considering Cleveland and Toledo.From my brief research Cincinnati and Columbus both have had population increases.

Quote from @Ogonna Odo:  Small ones will not, they typically like cash or checks.

I bought a single family home for cash in November, did the renovations and now have tenants.