Columbus OH for example is a popular choice, with the city experiencing impressive property appreciation surpassing the national average.

Start by reading the Ultimate Real Estate Investing Guide: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides/ultimate-real-estate-investing-guide/introduction2.

Sounds like a good choice then to do the HELOC, especially if you are going to make it a rental in the future and a HELOC will be harder to come by once it's an investment property.

@Todd Bednarz @Scott Michael GrossUpdates:Books were a total mess, it took A LOT of phone calls to get everything straightened out, but ultimately I got paid 100% with no fees for the first 2 months. 

If im paying my agent, ultimately im increasing my purchase price, right?

We almost moved there in 2017 and even had offers on a few homes that went far more above ask than we anticipated.We ultimately moved to Metro Detroit and invested in Detroit proper.

I ultimately started focusing on the Midwest and have been pretty happy so far. 

Unfortunately, some choices are business decisions and you have to get over the emotions of the moment. 

However, ultimately, make sure you have a viable exit if you can come to a mutually beneficial agreement.  

We are stable long-term tenants and would prove to be a good investment choice.