I have also become a licensed real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices and work out of the East Regional office in Murrysville, Pa.

., for their customers using a unified (normalized) data schema, unlike each regional MLS.

The regional has had multimillion dollar renovations, which have been very successful in drawing new people to the area.

I've personally seen several great B Areas in that region that check all of those boxes.

I've read the pros and cons articles, and the experience seems to be quite regional specific.  

Charleston Trident Association of Realtor's recently released their monthly update showing that the current market in our region is up 5% from last year.

Had a friend buy one in Niagara Region.$66K walked into what he thought was GOLD.It was a duplex that had wires exposed, was beside a bar that had 2 stabbing deaths in 2 years and was a duplex ...... with a HOLE cut in the drywall to accommodate the family of 8  into both sides of the unit.

Corey - Philadelphia is a very large region with many different area's, without understanding your goals and budget it would be next to impossible to suggest a starting location.  

I'am an investor in the Waterloo region, but I know lots of other Canadian investors across the country.

Over the next few years, we may do some more in the region, but cities are what we know.