The Rockcastle Megasite is an example of a site ready property & is only 20 minutes north of London. https://dataispower.org/rockcastle-mega-site/. 

It's not the best setup nor the best part of town, but you can make it work.

@Jacob Dalton - I have been a landlord in Chicago for 13 years and as an investor agent I have worked with 200+ investors on the north side of Chicago over the last 10 years. 

Sounds interesting if you have a email I can send you the info for a hard money lender I know since they only lend in texas, Colorado,  Georgia,  Tennessee, north Carolina and Arizona 

I've house hacked all throughout North Jersey. 

I'm not very intimate with the markets to the north and south, but I would start looking at price to rent ratios and decide what type of rental type and terms you want to invest in.

I'm advising folks to keep a close eye on Clay, Cicero, North Syracuse, the neighborhoods including and surrounding Eastwood, and the neighborhoods by the university.

The truly tragic natural disasters in California, North Carolina, Florida and others of the past six months are evidence that no location is truly 'climate safe,' however there are geographical areas that can expect less weather extremes and lower costs of living, developing, insuring and seemingly...surviving. 

I own a lot in the North Port Sarasota County area that I'm also looking to build on.

I also have a hedge fund buyer looking for properties in Dayton, cincinnati, Virginia and north Carolina.