Jason, First, if you are working with a Realtor I strongly recommend finding one who is also an investor, someone who is buying and selling and renting their own properties.

So greed or a sense of entitlement and of course strong opinions are present in all socioeconomic classes.

You set the option price at $179,500, or maybe a bit higher if the market is strong there.You get an option fee of $5k down.

The rental market seems to still be strong, however I believe these cuts may change that.

Rising rates only affects those who strongly depend on debt.

In this case, I am familiar with the area, but if I were shopping in Memphis or Atlanta, I would not have personal experience to draw upon.William Strong - I failed to post some of that info that I had already.

As you can see, we definitely have a BIG presence in the Texas area.If you have any questions, just ask!

I am a 24 year old finance major located in San Diego, CA, with a strong desire for investment knowledge and success.

You have to have a pretty strong network and be rather savvy with the investment community - but this is definitely another option to consider - real estate is a complex thing there's many ways to make profit with it.My background is banking and hard money so I view things a bit differently than most.

However, as always with areas with good potential, be ready for strong competition!