Blue Island, Oak Lawn, Willow Springs, Hickory Hills may be good cities to start looking in.We specialize in the suburbs of Chicago...while we only deal with commercial multifamily buildings (5+ units), please let me know if you have any questions.Good luck!

We are constrained on the west by ocean, South by mexico, North by Camp Pendleton/OC, and East by quickly harsh environment. 

It has been a great ride so far - I am glad to say that all the deals I have worked on have worked out well so far with an average 13% CoC return after using Property Management.My formula has been to stick with homes that have a 3/2/2 config, brick exteriors, built 1970 or newer, in a good blue collar neighborhood, costing less than 130k.

My property manager is great at pointing out the neighborhoods that are full of solid blue collar workers, good rent rates and low crime.  

Almost all are blue collar workers.

The sky is blue, you didnt win the lottery, whatever, and you get the escrow but NOT the option money back (usually costs you $100).  

@Zana Blue - I had electronic keypad deadbolts on all my properties.

literally millions have done this.. some its fine other with disaster results.as long as you buy quality assets you mitigate risk.. you buy ghetto type properties and end up walking away you just put leverage on your personal resi and lost the moneysame as borrowing on your home to play the stock market.. if you buy blue chips probably OK you try to use the funds to day trade and get wiped out .. not so goodmyself personally I keep personal resi as non touchable..  

To the east, well, ocean is all you get!

In Ocean County, I agree with the other posters that 10% is reasonable in most scenarios.