Well I would like to be knowledgeable of market trends and new developments in the area that I focus in.

_r=1&Deciding between Charlotte and Philadelphia was challenging, but this is how I did it: Step 9: I pulled high level statistics from Trulia, the census bureau, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (college educated percentage, commuter percentages, house hold income, median age, home owners percentage, marital status, crime, 1900 to present population growth, 10 year jobs growth rates).Charlotte won out on household income, less crime, population growth, jobs growth and more college educated peoplePhiladelphia had more renters, less driving to commute, more single peopleI also pulled approximate rents and median home prices by neighborhood and Philadelphia won on better cap ratesStep 10: My final decision: Philadelphia Philadelphia is also closer to NYC (2 hour train ride), has improving demographic trends (gentrification), more affordable for my budget, stronger rents, and larger urban center with more investment options (SFR and MFR)There are obviously downsides such as older buildings, higher crime rates, historical population growth issues We can debate the merits of one city over another, but eventually one has to get off the proverbial pot and make a decision.

Definitely one of the hottest neighborhoods in Philly right now, but 15-20 years ago it was a 'D-' or 'F' area.

So I've successfully flipped a number of properties and now I'm looking to relocate to the hottest investment market to take my company to another level, but I'm struggling to decide WHERE my best option is.

Since real estate trends are local, and CA has experienced higher highs and steeper drops than most...and since it is high now...

Through forum participation – you can learn more about the market trends as well as finding potential candidates for flipping houses with you. 

@John Thedford Below is the link to the article from realtor.com talking about the markets, as well as an article from Arizona Public Media giving some insight from Jonathan Smoke Chief Economist at Realtor.com discussing the price appreciation Original Articlehttp://www.realtor.com/news/trends/top-real-estate...  

It all depends on market's reaction, recent sales, and market trends.

SW and SE DC are the hottest areas today with the greatest recent and potential appreciation in value.  

During a price rise some neighborhoods recover slightly faster than others but the regional trend remains the same.East San Jose is worth studying since there are more investment properties.