A tidy, well-organized space can help the appraiser focus on the home's features rather than distractions.Research Comparable Properties: Have a list of comparable properties (comps) that have sold recently in your area.

Appreciation kind of lags compared to other places further east in northern Alabama.

I was comparing large cities to other large cities.  

You can leverage the first deal you bought and your experience so far, which is a lot compared to someone starting.

Compare other rentals with a similar size, location and bedroom count to get an estimate of what the rent would be while you're living there.

Cleveland, Baltimore, Toledo, Indy etc....You will see net population decreases in most of these areas but these are the areas where the prices are the lowest in the USA and come with rents that are very high when compared to the sales price.

any suggestions on how I should compare these 2 options?

**Maintenance**: Be prepared for a bit more wear and tear compared to market-rate rentals.

Given you and your investor both have experience in different areas, I’d say keep a flexible approach and compare city requirements before putting too much money down.

Use AirDNA to get a better feel for what may be projected and then dive into Airbnb and compare to your competitors.