Some areas that are on the path of appreciation and aren't yet completely picked over include Little Village, Hermosa, Belmont Cragin, Mckinley Park, etc.I am a local investor as well as an agent so if you need any help please don't hesitate to reach out

Have you picked a market and strategey yet?

After the election and purported rate cut(s) from the FED, I expect buying activity to pick up rather noticeably, which means more competition and likely higher prices. 

Are they picking window style and placement, exterior cladding, color, etc? 

The low hanging fruit has already been picked.  

Picking a house with major, costly structural issues or in a location with poor rental demand can hurt both the rental and refinance phases.

I wanted to share the financials after 3 years, and demonstrate what three years of real estate investing can achiev3 Bed/1 Ba Single Family Pro-Forma:Year 1 (2021)Income:Rent: $1,200.00Expenses:Mortgage: $509.95Taxes: $119.10Insurance: $43.84Cap Ex: $60Repairs/Maintenance: $60Vacancy: $60Monthly Cashflow:$347.11/mo or $4,165.32/yrYear 3 (2024)Income:Rent: $1,300.00Additional Pet Rent: $75Expenses:Mortgage: $509.95Taxes: $155.43Insurance: $53.03Cap Ex: $68.75Repairs/Maintenance: $68.75Vacancy: $58.75Monthly Cashflow:$450/mo or $5,400/yr (Total/Not 50/50 %)Total Equity: $37,473.88-Principal Equity: $7,959.62I have learned a lot about the systems needed in place to run a rental property, and how important picking the right tenant is. 

I'm thinking about doing rental arbitrage in the metro Atlanta area, was wondering if there was anyone currently doing this Atlanta whose brain I can pick or whom I can partner with.

In fact, many of their stories, just relied on, picking up a few investments in solid areas, taking care of them, and holding onto them for a long time. 

For the sake of trying to learn and picking your brain, why would it be better to keep one rental and upscale the other instead of selling both and getting a significantly more expensive piece of property and trying to significantly increase cash flow?