No doubt there are areas of the city that still have a lot of room for growth, and in general the outlook for the region is really positive, but just saying things have heated up a lot that I would caution all investors new to the area to really tread carefully. 

I remember in one of the Rich Dad books, Robert explained the most growth comes from the tiniest stocks, and from when they have an IPO.

Hedge by being in one of the top 5 markets for job/population growth (away from tech industry I.e.

Now that you know the factors, you need to estimate them and factor them all in an IRR analysis ... google is your friend there as books can and have been written on the subject here on BP and elsewhere.Personally, my favorite thing to do is get into a nice neighborhood with great appreciation and rent growth that wouldn't normally cash flow, but force appreciation to make it cash flow for me early on and get an immediate equity bump. 

Even if you do get growth in equity mortgage rates could be higher in two years and there may be little benefit in refinancing.

If you are looking to buy in a crazy expensive market, you might do well to sit on your hands and let your down payment grow. The

While learning about owning rentals, we found this site to be immensely helpful. 

Here's a quick question for you:If a city you were planning on investing in showed a decline in population growth since 2010 would you still invest in it?

Good time to be buying if you can, but maybe even better in the near future.Like Dean mentioned Auckland is the place to be if you can afford it, that's where most of the population growth is and the supply and demand is out of kilter.Christchurch is a dead duck unless you know how to deal with Earthquake damaged, uninsured houses.Wellington is doing ok right now but is a "late starter".And the list goes on, feel free to PM me if you wish to discuss things more Indepth.If you don't live in NZ can I ask why NZ?

With a culture built on hard work, economic progress, and family, Birmingham is a proud American city.General Facts Named “Magic City” due to its fast population growth during the height of the nation’s manufacturing age48th in population among the nation’s top 300 metropolitan areas (City of Birmingham Website)Largest city in the state of AlabamaConsistently rated as one of America’s best places to work and earn a living based on the area’s competitive salary rates and relatively low living expenses (Under30ceo.com)Jefferson County IB School is in top 25 “America’s Best High Schools” (Newsweek 2011)One of the largest banking centers in the U.S (Wikipedia)The city is investing over $1 billion to revitalize the downtown area into a 24-hour mixed-use entertainment district (Downtownbatonrouge.org)The city is home to “the Oscars of dining” winner from James Beard Foundation (Birmingham Visitor’s Center)