These improvements can help you increase rental income and property value.Network: Connect with other real estate investors in San Francisco and across the country to learn from their experiences and stay informed about market trends.

Although they may not have property specific info, they usually have rent and student demographic information you can use when deciding a strong price point or looking at occupancy trends for your market/property.I hope this provides some insight!

For example look at the zip code you are building in, for a recent new build in columbus that we do since miami is expensive we pulled all these stats: Zip Code Statistics: 43206Housing Units Delivered: 8 Average Sale Price: 642,875Median Sale Price: 505,000Average Price Per Sq Ft: $316.40Average Square Feet: 2172 Sq FtAverage Bedrooms: 3.25Average Bathrooms: 2.75Average Days on Market: 138We design the house around this, around the lot, around the neighborhood, from scratch and try to pick a long term build design that will do well.

Separately - if anyone knows a digital interior designer would love to pick there brain for an hour and obviously willing to pay. 

The 4 bed vs 3+den designation won't have any effect on the home's value, or the rental income.

With that information you can then adjust based on your design's location, size, complexity, and finishes, subtract off what you think your materials savings are, and then voila, there's your estimated labor cost.The cost/sf question gets asked all the time on the BP forums so there are already a bunch of responses out there.

It's designed for investors at all levels—novice, intermediate, and expert.

If you want appreciation, identify markets with expanding industries, positive growth trends, and bright economic forecasts.Columbus, OH, is where most of my clients invest, and it's a mix of both cashflow and appreciation.

National economic trends, local economy, neighborhood situation, home condition, desirability as a rental, demand factors as a purchase, and too many other factors to mention. 

Examine Midwest markets that exhibit positive demographic and economic trends, such as varied economies, inexpensive housing, and rapid employment development.Prior to making an investment in an out-of-state market, it is imperative to establish connections with local property managers, investors, and real estate experts.