I'd like to think that if there's not a mass exodus from the area, you can get decent cash flow as well.

@Natalie Kolodij I am not a Chevy fan and I have never owned one, but as far as mass produced and affordable cars, the Impala isn't horrible.

I disagree that services are not any better than neighboring states, as our mass transit, parks, and museums, for example, are incredible and second-to-none in the region.    

So as long as the interest rates keep prices affordable for the masses and rents are just as high or higher, people will opt to buy vs. rent.

@Ryan Murdock  what we see in our market right now.. is  " Coming Soon Signs"  listing realtor puts a sign in the yard saying coming soon.. obvious so they can double end it.. each market is unique though.. and having done some stuff in Chicago.. we just don't have the same MASS of properties.. and especially what would be considered deals or props that can be bought and rehabbed.. its tough here.

Keep in mind that Chicago is a World Class city with World Class museums, mass transit, parks, entertainment, shopping, restaurants, etc. 

So, it's not an airtight metric for evaluating someone's effectiveness to get you results, but it is "A" metric to look at for anyone who feels they would achieve results faster with a mentor.Altogether, I completely understand the skepticism of the masses of anyone who offers real estate education.

@Ryan BirdPoorly run government, extremely high property taxes, mass exodus of people.Real estate prices go up when demand is high.I have cousins who own $600K houses in Palatine where the property taxes are $25K/year.

This is everything from engineering, architectural plans, road installation, utility installation, mass excavation, street lights, ancillary parking, lawyer fees, village hearing fees.3.

Sounds like we have a critical mass of folks, definitely interested in talking with you all.