My fiancé and I both have good W2 jobs and live in big Stone gap Virginia, but the market there wouldn’t be as good as Bristol, in addition Bristol is just breaking ground on building a hard rock casino in the area, so we think this area it would be good for starting our real estate investment career.

Chemistry enthusiast looking to grow and discover new things every day.You already have the skill set to to evaluate 1 thru 4 above, even though this is real estate and not Chemistry. 

I just sold a 4 acre parcel I owned next to the Graton Casino ..

Hopefully we can see a bit of cleanup once we get get problem people out of the units.Up by Ivory Theater and up Virginia and north of Loughborough is more of the sweet spot, but then you get gut rehabs that won't pencil out a return better than investing the same amount in VTSAX.I see properties being mothballed in the area closer you get to the casino on the city side.

as they seemed too enthusiastic to move in.

@Tyler Jones welcome to the site and as you can see there are many local enthusiasts wanting to help you.  

Hello fellow RE enthusiasts,Finally ready to dive in and start investing! 

@Carissa Holmes If you try investing 250k in Austin right now you'd be better off going to a casino and putting it all on black.

Take it to Vegas, the casinos will cash it for free. 

Depending on the soil, a broken irrigation pipe underground may not show up as a soggy spot; here in the desert CA a patch of unusually happy enthusiastic plants = leak.