Fits well with the East school I am buying in Springfield, Vt.My original investment model was to buy and hold SFR's for at least one year and renovate the properties and then the transactions would be subject to long term capital gains or better still I'd do 1031 tax deferred exchanges and avoid ordinary income taxes.

I pretty much did what you mentioned in Springfield VA, also with wife.

So far Columbus, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Springfield (IL), and Rockford (IL) have been on my radar.

I'm a licensed General Contractor in Western MA/Springfield area as well as an REI.

I know Springfield, Missouri conservatives and real estate owners (funny, none of them have heard of you but that's an aside) and none of them has spoken negatively of Rush Limbaugh, with the exception of the slut comment when wives were in earshot.

I am located in Springfield, MO, so also in your neck of the woods!

Springfield, MA for comparison is 26% higher in labor, with a weighted average of 11% total more than the numbers in the book. 

I am much more active in towns from the New Britain line and North through Springfield, MA. 

I too am looking to get started in my market in Springfield Ohio !

Of course rates vary daily, so anyone else looking at this thread in the future please be conscious of the date this was posted.Zach------------------CHARLIE HILLEMANN | Executive Vice President, Stifel BankORGreg Iverson Vice President - Mortgage LendingBank of Springfield