You just have to be careful because some sales agents will just advise you to over improve the property because it makes their job easier.

Consider population trends, job growth, and economic stability in these areas.2.

Purchase price: $250,000 Cash invested: $14,000 I purchased and managed a rental property in Chicago, focusing on strategic improvements and tenant satisfaction to increase both its value and profitability.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

Seeing that you are moving for job reasons, I would probably suggest option 4 until you learn if Seattle is going to be a permanent answer.

. -- Thus, you can expect to get Class C or D tenants, which have a 15-25% probability of defaulting on their lease payments.2) If your PMC is lowering FICO to 550, what are they doing to improve their screening in other areas?

Historically, full service management on the coast has been costly but in recent months management rates have come down and quality has improved.

I would like to get into the flipping game, buying a house in the market wherever she can get a contract in, and my full time job is to flip the house.

Their plan is to raise rents (on the poor remaining souls, improve infrastructure and exert some sweat equity. 

Improving units to achieve re-pricing which changes revenue and thus property value.