It is a very diverse continent so one has to select the right places and also become quite familiar with that place before taking the plunge.

The culture we have here syncs well with the virtues you listed above.

When it comes to crime statistics and area ratings, My #1 go-to is https://www.niche.com/places-t...I really like Niche because it not only gives a general area rating, but school ratings, crime, housing, diversity, and nightlight.

For instance, knowing where the load-bearing walls are, knowing what types of tenants the property will attract, knowing the routing of plumbing & condition of the sewer main, knowing how noisy the street is, knowing that the house has a serious settling issue or water diversion problem, and--importantly--knowing how the property could be changed to force appreciation/rent.

There is about 400 distinct in diverse real estate markets in the US.

These counties still have a large number of properties every month, have easy access to contractors for repairs and have diverse renter communities so the properties can be made to cash flow easily. 

Diverse economy4.

(Granted, working 80 hours/week didn't help...)Compared to that, the AirBnB trip was absolutely amazing in terms of *being* in the culture. 

Let me tell you - it used to be a WONDERFUL diverse blue collar/white collar balanced place. 

Essentially diversity in property holdings.