I am biased, I live here but I also invest here.

I'm definitely biased as a local hard money lender, but I highly recommend networking with your local private/hard money lenders and only going the national lender route when the loan size is too large for the local guys.That issue with national lenders changing the appraisal and thus, your loan quote shouldn't be adjusted more than once unless your loan close process takes months.

I like Washington Heights as well, but I am biased. 

There is also a heavy dose of Anchoring Bias for many of West Coast investors looking East. 

My lease is 9 pages long it is so biased In my favor removes so many rights and so thorough I actually feel embarrassed to read it aloud when signing on tenants 

Philly is great for flipping, but I am a little biased since I am investing there myself.

@Erick Rivers  - My vote is for TN, but I'm biased.

As Michael Borger said, trying to "invest" in Hawaii for a cash flowing vacation rental probably wont end well, despite it being very tempting.And again Bobs self invested bias towards this phoney perpetual appreciation speculation in the Honolulu market in silly at best.  

You essentially have to work both sides and get paid for one.You have a vested interest in flat fee listings and I am biased towards my approach so I don't expect us to agree, I am just sharing my two cents.

I may be biased as a contractor when I say this but so far it's been the only sure fire way to get real numbers, call one of us and ask for a bid.