However, years of financial struggles and competition from major players like Walmart, Target, and Amazon contributed to its decline.Following the closure of the Hamptons location, Kmart will have just one downsized store in Miami, Florida.

Many properties in Macon lack central heat and air which I feel is a "must-have" amenity in GA.

I.e. if this property were located in Oakbrook/Centerville versus Miami Chapel/West Dayton, you will have a dramatic shift in price and operational ease.I would talk to brokers in the area.  

One example is a had a client renting and working in Miami but wanted to purchase a rental in Orlando near the parks.

 I bought my first house in 1987 and  5 years later I got a job transfer from Miami to Central Florida. 

Affordability is about 1:3So yeah on the surface it looks like a big difference, but there's a lot of things not controlled for in the stats- There were a crazy amount of houses built in the years just after the war, so housing stock was easy to come by everywhere;- Homes had nowhere near the kind of features they have now - 2 car garages, dishwashers, OTC microwaves, W/D hookups, high efficiency windows, central heat & air conditioning, etc - all those doodads and niceties drive up the cost of housing;- Fewer mortgages were 30 year, so homeowners had to pay (relatively) higher monthly payments;- Rentals were almost exclusively apartments, so there was more supply for buyers;ETCI think these things tend to be more stories that make for good press but aren't really that grounded in reality overall.

I would rather let it sit empty with no wear and tear than take $1700 a month and pay probably $300/month for heat in the winter. 

@Jonathan Perez im in miami as well.

I just closed on a duplex in Dayton for $189K $1100 a door and have an investor closing on a 4 unit for $325K in Indy with great rents that cash flow over $1000 a month.I have seen Indiana, & Ohio pick up some major heat over the last 3 years for investors while Boise falls somewhat short.

But you still have to provide (and maintain) a kitchen, a bathroom, HVAC (well maybe just heat), a water heater.