@Jacob Hrip For a first-time investor, financing options like a HELOC or private funding depend on your strategy and risk tolerance.

They have an internalized system where instantly a person has thousands of potential end buyers for a "lead" coast to coast.

I recently did some data crunching on Zillow's public datasets. I wanted to see what markets have both a relatively high rent-to-price ratio and high appreciation. I came up with this list:region-name:mean-appreciatio...

It looks like a great idea on the surface but the numbers don't stack up from a risk/return point of view as far as I'm concerned (it could be different for you depending on your return expectations).

I would characterize Columbus as some positive cash flow but amazing appreciation potential.

Even if you want to roll the dice, at least is a calculated risk, not a surprise down the road. 

Debt increases risk.

By emphasizing your qualifications as the basis for your decision, you steer clear of potential issues related to discrimination.

Class D risks > Class C > Class B > Class A, but how many investors even know what those risks are, let alone know how to account for them in their ROI calculations?

I find it's very personal, and dependent a lot on your goals, resources, risk tolerance, location, experience, etc.