In neighborhood it is very important to present your self to the home owner next to you, this helps a lot to prevent misunderstandings. also this shows your professionalism.

I recommend talking with an experienced broker who can help you shop multiple lenders  

I did that out of necessity with my first 2 houses and was able to buy in a nicer neighborhood than I could actually afford because they weren't updated. 

Community engagement: Homeowners have a greater financial stake in their neighborhoods and are more likely to invest in their local communities.

Very desirable place with high end shopping.

The average rental home price I am looking at is between $175K and $250K for a 3 bedroom house that requires minimal work in a nice neighborhood. 

In a city like Philly, you will face many challenges - you need to learn the market and know the neighborhood and the block and make sure all of your numbers are within reason, you need very reliable contractors, you need a to understand the permit process, you need to be familiar with market expectations. 

Can try to reposition to Class B, but neighborhood may impede these efforts.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, but 15-20% should be used to also cover tenant nonpayment, eviction costs & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores of 560-620 (approaching 22% probability of default), many blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 2 years.

Hey Everyone,As many of you know, Pittsburgh is a unique market with a lot of opportunities in neighborhoods where properties can still be purchased for less than $100K.

Our logical process:1) Use Neighborhood rankings to narrow down area of city you want to invest in2) Focus on getting to know that Neighborhood(s), so you know the good & bad streets, block-by-block.3) Be patient to acquire properties on good streets that meet your buying criteria.Our rankings are done with a "bell curve" approach.