I question your characterization of the neighborhood.

To top it all off, we just won the "Curbed Cup Neighborhood of the Year" http://nola.curbed.com/archives/2014/01/02/the-curbed-cup-neighborhood-of-the-year-is-bywater.php Truly, music to an investors ears :)Feel free to hit me up Chris.

I wanted to settle on a target neighborhood that I knew intimately before I committed to rehabbing a project from start to finish.

How well do you know the neighborhoods in Desoto?

@Justin EscajedaHave you considered leveraging and buying 4 similiar properties on short term (10-15 year) loans to hedge against neighborhood degradation?

We then carefully renovate and tastefully update them to provide affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods.

You also start to know neighborhoods intimately and can figure out the real value of the properties.

I suggest that you contact a local realtor to get comps for the area or a local REI who does business in the neighborhood.

My wife loves the neighborhood, so we may cash out with a second mortgage instead of selling, and get into buy and holds with it as well.

I have this dilemma right now, I have a rental in a nice middle class neighborhood, a 4/2 home, (Oak Park close to Berkley for the michiganders), probably can get $1,500 - $1,600 a month for rent, we are replacing the cabinets, granite and putting stainless steel appliances, the connection is for electric but have thought about putting a gas burner instead of electric, would you think it would be a good idea to turn it to gas?