i used to live in the DC area and still own a property in Arlington.i know the numbers on paper look great in a place like Huntsville, but we see a lot of folks in the forums in markets like DC or CA, who buy a random property in AL or OH or KS, and then immediately struggle because they didn't vet it properly, or didn't realize it wasn't in as great a neighborhood as they thought, or even buy an OK property, but then make $32.50 a month in 'cash flow,' and are disappointed in their return.so, i know you asked about huntsville, but i'd encourage you to think about picking a suburb or exurb of DC and really invest some time in it - maybe hagerstown or fredericksburg or winchester, or any place you're interested in within 2 hours with a lower price point than DC.

It will go too high, I'm sure.I picked up that Morningside duplex though.

However, I want to stress that fees and interest on deposits are very bad leading variables when picking a qualified intermediary. 

To be able to pick up 3 cash flowing doors on one single family property was an incredible draw.

There are safety inspections and safety measures that need to be done aside from just picking up the mess. 

I'd say first step is to pick what type of investment you're looking to do (i.e BRRRR, Flip, Buy and Hold, etc.) then find a market that supports that strategy.

Market is always moving, they can't sell you something that isn't available. 2018 Pricing won't touch 2013 pricing anywhere.Hi James,It's a bit weird here in Toledo as everyone is touting that "the market has never been better".We don't see it tho and are still picking up some great deals for great prices.Granted, we are super active will all of our acquisition efforts and I've said it before so I'll say it again.We feel like kids in a candy store lolThanks mateps.

There are better markets if you are interested in out of state investing and fair chance of getting better returns.I would start by fine tuning your investment and success criteria, then pick and research couple of areas before you make your decisions. for example Ohio- Cleveland, Kansas City etc offer better chances of cash flow vs Tennessee-Clarksville may offer better appreciation.

My advice would be pick ONE strategy, read as much as you can on the topic (like flipping or house hacking), then surround yourself with people who are actively doing what you want to do successfully.

Before I decide to STR a property, I first pick the city in which I want to STR the property.