Quote from @Shayan Sameer: Quote from @Samuel Diouf: Columbus, Ohio is a great market to consider if you're looking for appreciation markets that still have cashflowing deals under $200k.

Purchase price: $73,000 Cash invested: $25,000 I was charitable landlord renting to single mom below market rents.

Some renters may hesitate, but if the rental market is strong and insurance is covered in your numbers, it can still work.

The property's strong market demand made it an ideal candidate for a profitable fix-and-flip project.

Then they will start the process over.As for finding a market. 

Even when the market is down, gradually adjust rents so tenants don’t experience a huge price shock later.

It's a super affordable real estate market where you can still find deals that hit the 1% rule and positive cash flow/great cap rates.

Honestly, unless you’re in a high-end market where buyers or renters expect it, dropping thousands on a sprinkler system probably isn’t your best ROI move—especially if the property has been sitting for months.

Quote from @Brendan Jones: For the homes, and or properties that you will use as a primary or a rental property one big thing I look for is infrastructure in the area, extrinsic value (I.e. hospitals in the area, schools, and job market), and the last thing is creature comforts for people (I.e. is a store to get groceries 1 hour away or 2 minutes away).

Personally, I would never live in PHX, but that is all personal biases (I prefer seasons and greenery), and clearly lots of people choose to live in PHX.At the end of the day, I would argue market selection almost only comes into play when you are talking assets that cater to institutional buyers that have to get investment committee sign off.