Overall, Columbus has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country for a number of years now.

That may be the fastest way to find a pool of good contractors.Best to you.

Ask what areas rent the fastest, what the rents run, etc.

However, Columbus is the fastest growing city in all of the midwest.

If you are interested in multi-family units, a great book to take a look at is "Investing in Duplexes, Triplexes, and Quads: The Fastest and Safest Way to Real Estate Wealth" by Larry B.

I've also started a new position as a City Planner for a local government, which is the fastest growing in the region.

My location is one of fast pace growth, actually has been one of the top 5 fastest growing counties in the US for a while.

@Michael Flood1) Not 100% sure how lenders calculate this but if it is a business partnership it should be 1/2 each2) Usually 6 months to a year but many times if you take advantage of depreciation your income will be less on paper than it is in reality, if it is multifamily and occupied some will calculate it from the beginning3) No because you are not using an FHA loan to purchase the property4) If you want the cheapest price buy in the winter, if you want to fill vacancies the fastest buy in late spring or early summer. 

The fastest time I personally stopped a foreclosure was 4 days before the auction.The owner was so happy she asked for permission to hug me at the closing table.It's good to help people and make money at the same time.

Visit TurnkeyInvest.com for more information about investing in cashflow properties or FoundationPM.com to learn about "The Fastest Growing Property Manager in Memphis" What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?