Don't get me wrong, people are definitely investing there successfully, but as far as comparing it to other markets goes, it doesn't perform very well with the metrics most people are looking for: growth market with a strong economy, diverse job market, affordability (residents make enough to be able to buy property, which drives property values up), good schools and an increasing population.

Second: Build your DIVERSE AND QUALITY team!

Most investors feel these stock funds pay off a lot better in the long run and thus are worth the risk, but a year from now you could be looking at a negative return and be cursing the day you left your secure 5% return.Also, many mutual fund investors feel that diversity is important, and while a mutual fund itself is a form of diversity, a typical plan would be to pick several funds that target different types of companies, not just a single fund that only targets the S&P 500 mix.

My husband is active duty navy so we have lived all over :) So we have had the opportunity to see a diverse area.You will love the diverse community and all the resources.

Is the economy diverse?

Hey Lisa, Phila is a very diverse and hyper local marketYou have areas that you can invest 100k on a duplex and others that you can invest 1M for oneWhat I would suggest is to first find out what kind of tenant base you are looking for.Who is the average applicant?

Poster is looking for rehab budget / sqft though - a lot easier to estimate than $/sqft purchase price in a city as diverse as Seattle!

In general, I would prefer a place with some natural beauty (like hills, green, etc.) and with an open-minded, educated and somewhat diverse population (doesn't have to be nearly as diverse as California or New York or Chicago, just to clarify), and that still doesn't feel like a big city and is not too crowded.

The state and metro GDP has had a strong positive trend over the last few years, the population has been growing over the last few years, it has a diverse job industry, crime rates have fallen, rent to value seems to be reasonable, etc.My only concern is the the median home value which seems to be around $180,000.

I've visited about 6 local banks and credit unions in the past week, and I can say this about HELOCS:Shop around LOLThe diversity of options is impressive.