The fact that you were able to rent the property after a full gut renovation indicates a good return on your investment, and refinancing after the rehab was a smart move to recoup your cash and prepare for future deals.One key observation is the challenge of rehab budget overruns.

Analysis of 136 homes in two DC Metro counties held for 5 years.Genesis of my curiosityAs a Realtor and investor for 10 years I often create my own theories of various market trends based on my own observations, experiences and listening to the anecdotes of others.

Yeah we're thinking about sitting and observing for a little bit and instead, work on saving more money for downpayment & cash reserves and paying down our principal for our property in Cambridge, Mass.

Open to all shared knowledge. cheers, DanHi Dan, Best out of state markets in our experience and observations: sunbelt regions and parts of the mid-west.

The only way to effectively determine this is by driving neighborhoods, walking properties &  observing the daily routines of those who live there. 

@Mike H.good observations and thanks for sharing your story. 

In the real estate SFH market, we observed multiple platforms like Zillow, Redfin, Realtor, Trulia, and Movoto - each offering unique user interfaces, features, and experiences. 

Great observation!  

I'll message you to discuss actual markets still within the gentrification phase I've observed that will have a much lower acquisition cost. 

Second, I love your observation that they just don't LOOK appealing.