This also indicates a contrarian view for me, as I am hesitant to invest where all the action is and property values have already risne substantially.1)Employmenta)good current employment situationb)regulatory and tax climate attractive for businesses to invest in and create jobsc)workforce to attract business investment2)Populationa)education facilitiesb)competent local leadershipc)weather - "Sun Belt" trend 3)Investment analysisa)good tenants, low crimeb)affordable housing and rentsc)low taxes - cost of ownershipd) sufficient cash flow and ROIAs Finexaminer mentioned in another post, you must start with a macro view of trends, determine areas to focus on and move closer in your analysis for a more finite view of particular areas and neighborhoods and specific properties therein.Such analysis will make you realize why places like Colorado springs have grown tremendously.

i have taken 3 of the 5 weeklong courses and have learned a tremendous amount.Uri Gofman

As you can see BP is a tremendous resource.

That's great that you're interested in real estate investing, especially in U.S. real estate where there is tremendous opportunities.It's also great that you're starting at such a young age.

Eventually get a mentor Having a guide will boost your confidence tremendously.

The fact of working for myself intrigues me, the harder I work, the more money I will make.then I decided to look into real estate investing again and found Bigger Pockets. this website has been a tremendous help with my education on real estate investing.

I have 2 two family houses in the Bronx in a "B+" area and I can't afford to buy the properties again because they appreciated tremendously. 

When you call mortgage brokers, banks and credit unions, you are able to build a relationship with these companies and contacts which will help you tremendously later on.

That has made a tremendous difference on getting deals pushed through for a few of my investors. 

I'm hoping to get some thoughts on financing multi-unit properties and whether I should go for a 2 or 4 unit property.Some background: My wife and I live in the Bay Area and our house has appreciated tremendously in the last two years.