I created this list about a year ago so the quality of these areas have probably changed as Memphis is rapidly growing.

Things rapidly went south when she couldn't understand why I needed to have income / expenses reported independently for each unit though.

Miami is rapidly changing before our eyes. 

I have two SFHs in VA and a duplex in Omaha, looking to scale Omaha up rapidly over the next year or two! 

I have investment properties in Metro Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids.

I invest in Cedar Rapids, Iowa metro.

Appreciation has slowed given how rapid everything went up over the past 3 years.I think Birmingham may be your best option for what you're looking for if you want to invest in Alabama, but I do not have any investments there, so I can't be of much help there.  

These areas are rapidly growing and seeing good appreciation, but the rents have not caught up to support the price.

California gets a lot of hate on these boards, but the returns can be massive when you consider the rapid rate of appreciation.

We are looking to purchase our first property this year, specifically a SF/MTF buy & hold in the Cedar Rapids or Iowa City area.