I put signs at intersections, highway off and on ramps, Walmart , and near Wawa gas stations (not sure if either are in your areas) but they get a lot of traffic from all types of sellers. 

@Mel Selvidge ,I think it depends on the tenants you are trying to attract, the neighborhood, and the street.I manage and have at least partial ownership in 12 units in Richmond, East Oakland, and now West Oakland - and have lived in Richmond just a few blocks south of the BART station, which has a bad reputation, but it's on a nice block.

I'm currently on active duty in the Navy stationed in San Diego with 4 years left before I will be getting out and moving back to New York where I'm going to start my Real Estate investing career.

Not knowing which niche is best for beginner's (I'm stationed in Japan and there aren't too many that I can pursue).

Towne Lake was the back woods of my house and it was called the thousand acres before that because it went all the way to lake Allatoona.Woodstock for Bells Ferry used to be just a dirt road and a gas station with food in it and that was it way back.Woodstock had poor planning with roads that inhibited growth but now it is doing better.

I have talked to their loan manager at the Bel Air branch (believe they have a branch in Cecil as well; but I believe the person I talked to is the loan manager for all 3 branches - but stationed at Bel Air day-to-day).  

I'm on a nice residential block with Irvington Park at the end and very close to the Irvington bus station.

It is right behind Union Station so rent will easily top around $3k a month, at least.I saw the house you completed on another thread.  

I am currently serving in the Army and stationed in Germany.

BTW, I lived not far from Naperville in Westmont and can tell you that the housing stock in your area presents no shortages of opportunities as there are so many old homes in great locations near Metra stations that need to be renovated and will sell for top dollar once they have a modern floor plan and nice finishes.