I wanted to gather some wisdom from local investors on what neighborhoods/zip codes likely have the highest growth/appreciation potential for the coming years.

Find a property that makes sense financially, in an area of potential growth, ANYWHERE in the U.S., and in your analysis account for slightly higher PM fees.  

How would you make it grow the quickest?

Sacramento seems to have a lot of inventory and buildable land which will increase supply keeping rent growth slow. 

I even had preventative maintenance set up, but the root growth rate was unpredictable.

Areas with infrastructure growth and new development are excellent targets for long-term value.Key Tip: Adaptability is essential in 2025.

With a long-term hold strategy, this property should continue building wealth through appreciation, equity, and potential rent growth.

Then I'll focus on paying off mortgages and making my investments "safe" instead of focusing on growth.

Economic Timing.According to data compiled by Marcus & Millichap[2], the Portland area has experienced three very important trends since 2010:The average price per unit for apartments has nearly doubledThe rate of employment growth rose from 2010 to 2015 but has since declined steadily, projected to be up 1% for 2020 (estimated before COVID-19)Roughly 30,000 apartments have been built since 2010, with another 5,600 units slated for construction in 2020Most RHA members have enjoyed a solid decade of price growth, rent growth and steady occupancy.

Equity growth is just reinvested cash flow and much easier to predict then appreciation.