Many properties in Macon lack central heat and air which I feel is a "must-have" amenity in GA.

I would rather let it sit empty with no wear and tear than take $1700 a month and pay probably $300/month for heat in the winter. 

I just closed on a duplex in Dayton for $189K $1100 a door and have an investor closing on a 4 unit for $325K in Indy with great rents that cash flow over $1000 a month.I have seen Indiana, & Ohio pick up some major heat over the last 3 years for investors while Boise falls somewhat short.

Affordability is about 1:3So yeah on the surface it looks like a big difference, but there's a lot of things not controlled for in the stats- There were a crazy amount of houses built in the years just after the war, so housing stock was easy to come by everywhere;- Homes had nowhere near the kind of features they have now - 2 car garages, dishwashers, OTC microwaves, W/D hookups, high efficiency windows, central heat & air conditioning, etc - all those doodads and niceties drive up the cost of housing;- Fewer mortgages were 30 year, so homeowners had to pay (relatively) higher monthly payments;- Rentals were almost exclusively apartments, so there was more supply for buyers;ETCI think these things tend to be more stories that make for good press but aren't really that grounded in reality overall.

But you still have to provide (and maintain) a kitchen, a bathroom, HVAC (well maybe just heat), a water heater.

Vancouver will capture the heat produced by bitcoin mining, to heat the city. 

I didn't know the difference between a heating system and water heater, I didnt know how to screen deals, I didnt know how to calculate cash on cash. we all start somewhere. 

Then you can decide if you want to retain as a rental property (my plans) and/or sell it when the market heats up.  

You need to sit down with them and heat them out.then you wouldn't be so judgemental.

Even a typical water heat replacement would set you back signficantly.There's plenty to the puzzle that i am unaware of but with what you've outlined here i would consider passing on the property.you know you need managementyou know you need to remove at least one tenantyou know cashflow is meager after considering management.i personally wouldn't recommend a client take on the risk for such a paltry pay out out of state.Even when considering long term appreciation the average amount of headache one assumes with a property will bog you down before the long term play pays off.