I dont know the area, or the county for that matter, whatsoever.I did some preliminary due diligence on Clinton, including 5-year population trends, demographics, rental rates published, and some other region-specific data. 

This is the entry point I’d recommend with high CoC returns and includes your downpayment (20-25% down), closing costs and the furnishing/design budget.  

Researching market trends and speaking with a local real estate agent can help you understand if prices are likely to rise or fall.

Ensure you have an emergency fund for vacancies or repairs and verify market trends to confirm the investment supports your long-term financial plan.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

Just curious whats going on out there- we are not active brokers so not up with current trends Thanks again !! 

We completed the work 2 weeks before our baby was born so we took a 4 week hiatus to rest and have the baby.Then I dove into the design, planning, and permitting for the basement.I visited the local Permit office in Alexandria and basically said, "Hi, I'm a new homeowner and I'm an idiot when it comes to permitting.

Some people hold it just because they won't make as much as they want, but then the market goes down and they lose more so you to know the sale and rental market as well as the trending nature of the area.

I'm curious if others are using structured surveys for tracking trends in experiences.

@Ryan Leake thanks for sharing helpful tips.Steps 4 and 5 for "boosting ratings" is why I've designed an auto-mated post-stay review intercept survey.

Studying for and receiving the CCIM designation will be a solid plus.