It doesn't make a lot of sense to buy somewhere that's not going to rebound quicker and stronger than elsewhere - CA vs OK for example. 

If so, you'd need a stronger reason/exit strategy to pay back the loan.

Hey Ferrode, Cleveland offers affordable entry point, higher potential cash flow due to lower purchase prices and decent rental income while Columbus offers a stronger job market and population growth potentially leading to higher appreciation over time.

That 2.5% could no longer be a negotiation token that you used to have to make your offer stronger or put it in your pocket as a credit.I can argue that the pre-settlement was incentivized buyers to self represent because the industry had commissions available to the buy side. 

Generally when the market turns, the weaker aares will drop much faster and farther than the stronger areas.

Generally if you look for properties in locations with stronger macro statistics you will see that rents and price points tend to diverge from each other.

Additionally, I'm exploring long-distance investments to identify locations with stronger cashflow potential and a lower entry point.

Investors can get ahead of the moving market conditions (particularly for Spring/Summer) by establishing stronger teams of real estate professionals with clear duties, roles and expectations. 

The 75 LTV at 7.5% is a stronger option as you have more room for cash flow to pay off the HELOC

I do like the more expensive markets like because of the higher dollar margins and stronger appreciation.