But the area is thriving!

I'm surprised to hear so many people question the loan practices in this book; Philly is absolutely FILLED with local banks that are portfolio lenders and by all appearances seem to thrive lending to people just like the section 8 guys.

For Jersey specifically, there's a mass exodus coming out of NYC so they're all naturally coming here.Also while a lot of sectors got hit hard during the pandemic, other ones like finance and healthcare (where salaries were decent to begin with) thrived.

Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged.http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere http://www.biggerpockets.com/ubg http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet Setting up Keyword Alerts How to Use @Mentions on BiggerPockets 25 Tips for Real Estate SuccessREI can be very daunting, but, before you go searching for that 1st buy, please take a few minutes to bone up on the tips in link below.http://www.realestate.com/advice/buying-your-first-investment-property/ However, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.

You can’t thrive if you can’t survive.

Consider the following with this deal-Hoboken and JC have trains directly into NYC (better than trains, the PATH) and high walkability scores-Both Hoboken and JC have thriving downtown areas, cuisine, bars, nightlife and even strong appeal for young families, West New York is probably best for young professionals who will live in your unit for a time then outgrow it or move to Hoboken or JC

While I agree with Avery about appreciation being speculative in nature, it can't hurt to invest in an area that is thriving so well as long as the cash flow makes senses as well!

I see a thriving industry reaching heights never seen before with endless opportunities.

I think you ignore the cloak of legitimacy at your peril, better to be a banker than a shylock, but if some guy admits on a podcast that he doesn't know anything about real estate but has enough hustle and specialized knowledge to support his family with a thriving business, I can't muster an ounce of disdain for him.I just read through an accredited RE Principles course, and it was good stuff, I liked it, but it didn't teach me to market for deals. 

Google ‘green house, red door’ and click images to see what I mean.Personally I’m not crazy about the ‘sea foam green’ as a base color.