Out of state may be your best bet, everyone on this thread has suggested great markets.

Getting multiple contractors involved will be your best bet to get a reliable estimate, though you need to come up with a scope of work.

Happy to connect and talk about first time investing anytime!

Feel free to reach out anytime if you are in need of a reliable PM.

Personally, I'd prefer getting in with the Boston market over Jersey, and would not count of prices dropping drastically anytime soon.

I also read in real estate by the numbers that it's risky to bet on market appreciation.

Great tools that get updated regularly.I am on the lending side of things and would be happy to hop on a call with you anytime to discuss financial strategies and help answer any questions you may have about nearly any loan product available to help you on your journey, even if they are not products my capital partners offer.We are all here to help you learn and grow.

My son just joined the Navy and now that I’m an empty nester I want to make a shift and bet on myself!

I could maybe sign up with that theory if the GPs were using the side hustle money as a way of cutting or eliminating their fees & salaries altogether while they try to hang in long enough to hope for enough rate cuts to refinance or the market to unfreeze and let them unload at least at break-even, but I bet none of them do anything of the kind. 

But it works out either way for the 1031 exchange.And of course, once you have completed your 1031 exchange you can always do a refinance and take cash out any time you want.