Hemet is only 90 miles from LA,has a population of about 90,000 and is close to 2 major employers( casinos )The area also has a good size senior population and the town is still recovering from the foreclosure crisis but there has been a lot of sales due to the lower prices as compared to LA.You have to filter the listings and view the short sale,foreclosures and straight sales to get an accurate picture.As an investor you need to stick to your criteria and then search Hemet to evaluate what is really going on beneath the surface .

Helena is a very small town on the Arkansas border across the river from casinos in Mississippi. 

Originally posted by @Michael Noto:@Barbara Goodman are you looking for a fixer upper or a conventional buy and hold?

@Russ Goodman that is what I figured as well.  

Only sell if (1) premise for acquisition changes, or (2) you must to acquire a bigger more attractive deal.Generate long-term wealth by investing IN real estate, not through transactions (casino vs gambler).

Its like a small village for dining and shopping with a bunch of great bars restaurants all grouped together.All of the above are about 5 mins from OHare as is a relatively new casino if you are into that.Enjoy !!

@Stephanie Goodman, this is MA, and 20K Cash for Keys is not unusual, especially with a previous foreclosed owner as the occupant.  

They risked opening their business or practice doing something they love, but NONE of them frequented casinos.  

I really want to keep them out of the 203k loan because I don't think we're getting good pricing from the contractor.  1 - 2.5 ton Goodman R410 14 SEER Heat Pump System2 - 80% 80k BTU Natural Gas Furnace Coils (I assume the A/C condensers are included here too)He wants over $15k ($9k parts $6k labor) to replace the three outside units and the furnace coils. 

JP Krueger Hi JP - how do you feel about the Everett casino?