I’ve been starting my research by seeing what is being bought and what is on the market, and live nearby so would like to check out neighborhoods, but am wondering which neighborhoods I should invest in?

I was broke enough that I couldn't afford rent at my apartment, but fortunately my landlord didn't notice, thanks in part or in whole due to some substance abuse issues.Anyways, when visiting my mom in the neighborhood where I grew up, I had noticed this construction van at a house on our street.

If you do something that is too high end or bold compared to what is available in the neighborhood, the exit could be very difficult 

How many lots in those neighborhoods sold near that date to establish comps? 

Find someone in the neighborhood of your building to help you out.

Older homes may need updated style, but as long as your rough-ins are intact, everything should be fine. 

Would love to hear form some Multi-Family owners/operators in these markets about pros/cons and specifically neighborhoods to avoid.My wife and I have been to Columbia SC many times and, while we have never been to Little Rock Arkansas, we plan on going in Late March! 

Instead, investing should be a means to taking care of our needs and improving our life style.

I'd be looking at multiple structures. we try to build below the average new build cost in our market in Columbus Ohio which is 515,000 last year and we target land 40-50k and urban core adjacent where we get higher price per square foot. we build for clients with margin around $190 a sq ft depending on multi or single. we can get that down in our triplex it's a little higher on our single family homes because of garages and limited economies of scale. hope that helps. idk Philly but if you show me the area and styles of homes I can give you some more insights. 

Look at recently sold properties in the same neighborhood that match the size, condition, and style your property will have post-rehab.