Now, that meetup is in South County, on the MO side, but brings in folks from Belleville, Fairview, Collinsville, Cahokia, and all over the St Louis area.Now, there is a monthly GRID meetup in Edwardsville that brings in folks from the metro-east, as well.Generally, going to any real estate meetups in the St Louis area will find you someone who also invests in Belleville.I also invest in Cahokia, John.

Absolutely, real estate can still be a smart investment—even in this market—and the Panhandle is one of the best areas to consider right now.

I'd also suggest self-managing your first property to maximize cash flow and learn by doing for any future investments.

Study what has sold at a solid price and quickly.

For me I think it depends on how much money you have invested into the home and for how long?  

Without solid knowledge on this subject, you can easily end up in hot water. 

However, what is far more important for financial freedom is the location/city where you invest.The city where you invest is far more important than the current interest rate.

Even after moving 2.5 years ago, I continued to self-manage because I had a solid network of connections that made it pretty easy to handle remotely.That said, it eventually came down to wanting my time back.

Investment Info:Townhouse fix & flip investment. 123 W 132nd St is a historic townhouse located in Harlem, New York.

Investment Info:Townhouse fix & flip investment. 159 W 129th St is a multi-family building located in the heart of Harlem, New York.