Hi everyone!

I'm new to BP and am looking for some help so I can get started on my first deal. With that said, I was wondering..

What makes an area good to invest in and who/ what is a good resource to get that info...

Every situation has to be evaluated on it's own merits. 

Since you are evaluating multiple out of state locations, this may be more challenging, but I bet you could find some folks here in the forums who can point you in the right direction. 

It is impossible to evaluate without all factors. 

Better deals have lots of company.Suggest you to investigate, inspect and carefully evaluate if it is for you as a strong buyer.

But, get good at evaluating them and also get good at walking away. 

If I pay $130k (re-evaluated offer), and put 20% down with a HML ($26k)I am left with $104k on a conventional loan.6/12 months down the road, refinance to 70% of ARV (~$170k) which is $51k-closing costs on new loan ($48k)Pay HML lender his $26k + InterestPocket the rest for the next deal. 

I am already seeking out experienced advisers that can help me evaluate and plan. 

So glad you've discovered Bigger Pockets early in your real estate investing journey...sounds like you've already developed a great plan to break into real estate in ATL.A few tips that may be helpful to you here on the BP website:You can set up keyword alerts so anytime someone posts about Atlanta or any of the specific neighborhoods you're evaluating, you'll be notified.

I am evaluating several commercial real estate deals involving medium size apartment complexes near some colleges.