For instance, commercial properties in the Twin Cities have much higher property taxes than residential or even commercial properties in Western Wisconsin that can ruin a pro-forma. 

I live out of country and getting a glimpse at how you operate has given me some idea of what long distance will be like for me in the future.Would you recommend someone who lives in Western Europe to take the same approach?

Other eastern Washington strongholds for value and cash flow can be Tri-Cities and Yakima.On the western side of the state, there are strong dynamics going on in several I-5 corridor communities north of Seattle (such as Bellingham and pockets of Mount Vernon).  

Lots from western PA (including myself circa 1970-1982) but I don't forget that I live in NC on the day of an NHL game;)

I know I'm an activist landlord - I believe that passive landlords should stay in well-to-do neighborhoods.

We live in Massachusetts, and our rental is in our home town in Western Pennsylvania.

I'm looking at investing in Western MA, but more interested in buying multi family rentals.

Tell you what-- Why don't we get a couple of other mid westerners here to kick in $25 each and split the fee four ways.

all good posts. i am a home inspector here in the western new york area. i am a rather small man, 5 ft 8, 180 pounds, so, as you can imagine, i can fit into spots that even a mouse would fear to go. it gives me a distinct advantage in doing home inspections. i can agree with your concerns. if there were multiple areas of interest missed in the inspection, that is the fault of the inspector. if there areas that were covered with insulation, personal items, etc that items could have been safely moved, then the inspector should have moved them, especially in areas of major concerns such as plumbing or heating areas. personally, if i look under a sink and see personal items blocking what i want to look at, i am gonna move them. the personal items are not as important as what i may find, plain and simple. in a house i know is going to be rehabbed, i am going to pull back insulation that is blocking what i want to see. the owner is probably going to tear out that piece of insulation anyway. crawl spaces???

We are seeking multi-family, duplex, tri-plex buildings in the Hudson, River Falls, Somerset, New Richmond area of western Wisconsin for an owner occupied situation.