Drive neighborhoods, walk into open houses, talk with agents, get a feel for what is selling and what is not, what are the good areas, what is not, get statistics ( from title or agent) on average DOMs (days on market) and inventory levels from 12 months ago, 6 months ago, 3 months ago, and current.

Statistically they are, as most liability claims are under these amounts.

Statistics from RealtyTrac.http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/article/20120614/CRED03/120619899/illinois-foreclosures-rise-29-in-may

I never knew those statistics from the Recession of '08.  

I know that statistically there appears to be a declining population (see right graphic below).

So the numbers are real numbers on the first 8 and they are projected on the last 8 (but my projections have been pretty accurate to what the real numbers would be so I included them).My portion of the monthly cash flow created is 2064.74 plus 1340.82 (until I sell all of the second performing notes) so it is $3405.56 per month with about $152,358 invested which is about a 27% cash on cash return.All of these properties are on 5-year lease options which means that if all of the tenants exercise their option at the end of the 5 years (which statistically I know won’t happen, but if it does) I stand to have profited $665,800.84 among all 16 properties (this doesn’t include any profits that come to me from the second position notes that I am selling on some of these properties).

You can keep those statistics and then run a blend to see what you're averaging yearly if you'd like as well.

But typically it will be another year before we see significant increases since real estate and defaults are always lagging statistics

It's an amazing statistic and really true.

@Graham Lutz I'd approach things differently from looking at where a factory is opening or what markets are hot.I'd start with the list of Metropolitan Statistical Areas on wikipedia, which you can sort by growth rate:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan...Even though there are growth rate variations within MSAs (i.e., declining areas within growing MSAs and vice-versa), to make things simple, I would avoid any MSA that is declining in population, period.