Best to find one that has been though multiple real estate cycles (didn't just get in the business in 2009).   

Due to a number of factors (urban renewal, slumlording, institutional racism, 2006), lots of properties that are hitting the market in this cycle have huge potential but are in rough shape.Your best bet to avoid getting blindsided is to walk potential properties with a really, really good contractor who has worked extensively in the City of Newburgh, not just the town of Newburgh. 

Each state is cycling at various points in time.

Summary is that you market direct to select insurance adjusters and just keep cycling them out as the lease comes to an end. 

Hey, i use cash to finance my deals and i could never get my latest statement unless the deal happens to be at the end of the month. And the previous month statement never works because it's before i close my previous...

So here's the situation, tenant (has been there for a year and a half, month to month lease, never any problem except she doesn't pick up dog poop, which I have been way too lax on so far, because she has been a very good tenant otherwise) text’s me on November 22 saying that her heat is cycling but not getting above 60 in her house.

Huge cycling and gravel riding scene there!

I would NOT try to time the market to sell it at peak unless you had another compelling reason like mentioned above for wanting/needing to sell anyway ... remember, even if you hit the peak for this RE cycle (which is hard enough to do), it does not mean you will be selling out at the global all time peak ... it reminds me of something my parent's did in the 1980's, they timed the market perfectly and sold at the peak for that RE cycle ... it was a triplex a few blocks from the ocean they sold for $150k, value stayed flat for years after they sold but today is probably worth >$2M.

@David Goddard  very simply if you go into a market with these metrics any market Is good.1. establish the median sale price for the MSA2. buy within 20% of the top of the median.if you buy morris stuff is the very bottom.. common sense should dictate that the cheapest bottom priced units are going to have the poorest renters.. poor renters god bless them but they are very unstable and you as landlord get sucked into their drama and unstable life cycle.. which is non pay and destruction of your rental over a short period of time.

I have heard everything from, “You don't take a loss until you sell." to "It will rent during a down cycle."