Also I did not know about BP yet.Fast forward to 2013 ( yes I missed out on a lot of deals and growth) I bought my home, which was a foreclosure.

We are new to real estate, but feel very confident about the areas growth over the next 5-10 years.

This equates to tax free growth for years.

@Kenneth Shultz first off, congrats on the growth.

City and job growth?

Lesson Learned: if it doesn't serve a purpose in your life, let it go early, move forward, and gain ground on purpose.Now, I find myself wanting to get serious and work a wealth-building model that will create wealth through passive income and long term asset growth by solving problems and meeting needs.My high level business model consists of flipping properties (wholesale & rehab) to generate cash down to purchase commercial and MFR properties with reduced financing balances to generate long-term positive cash flows.

That only leaves "somewhere else".That said (and I hope I don't sound like a stock market flunkie) I see both Houston and Raleigh as a growth market.

I especially enjoy the podcasts as I can listen and learn about different aspects of real estate investing while completing other tasks. 

@David Faulkner, I appreciate you pointing out the bigger picture such as appreciation and rent growth potential.  

Great proximity between beaches / Tampa and/or Clearwater Metros, and exceptional growth market.