.: New to REI & BP, and debating my first move.My Background:30, single, no kids, no property, high income, fully remote worker$300K to allocate toward real estate (+ $100K/year after tax)Currently renting in NYC but planning to move back to LA (hometown) in summer 2025 or the following yearTired of paying rent and want to start building equityMy Dilemma:1️⃣ House Hack in NYC – Stay a couple more years here, buy a small multi-family now and offset costs with rental income.

First, you just need to qualify either for REPS, or the property can be an STR (with an average stay of a 7 day or less), you just need one or the other, you don't need both. 

Sure it does. but depending on who the celebrity is/was.....That's why so many little hotels, boarding houses, vacation rentals, etc..... feature this in their advertising.And in some cases, you will not get more money, but you will get more guests.A little while ago, I went to Tombstone AZ and stayed in 'The first boarding house in Tombstone'....really cool place but kinda small and, well....old feeling.

So, even when the market is challenging, you can still see properties and stay current.Don't take a break when the rates are high.

Despite the equity We also want to take advantage of tax advantages we did stay in the property for 2 years !  

Stay striving and continue to stay curious!

In the same token I go on the low end for rents to stay conservative.

Don't let them choose for you.Just inspect what you expect....Also I would talk to housing office in Memphis to get a feel of how many people are on the Section 8 waitlist, what kind of rents they pay, what zip codes are they targeting, see if they have any stats about how long tenants stay and average rent.While a lot of people try to look at google street view to get an idea of the neighborhood, there is no substitute for visiting in person.

*Be Informed — Stay on top of market trends, zoning changes, and economic shifts that can affect real estate values.ConclusionWith a reasonable strategy, a little resourcefulness, and a lot of hard work, fix-and-flip investing in the Phoenix area can be extremely lucrative.

I'd like to stay in the southeast and would appreciate any insight other investors can offer about cities in the southeast.