Be sure to investigate that issue before buying.Birmingham is a good rental market for modest and mi-range homes.

Wise words. i am starting the DD and site investigation part of my venture.

No wonder the government is investigating him for allegedly lining up his pockets.

And it's certainly not without an FBI investigation into a "pay to play" scandal with the Allentown mayor to keep everything interesting.  

If you want to investigate PMs in our area, I'd start with Dan Hayes at Real Property Management Solutions.

Later that day I got onto the HUBZU online chat, explained the problem and was assured the proper people would be notified so this could be investigated.

Time to investigate further.At this point we discovered that the cats had somehow found a pathway into the attic. 

I've done some digging and have a general idea but wanted to see if anyone has boots on the ground experience and can share areas I should investigate and areas I should avoid. 

Even if he loses, you lose too, because your insurance carrier could issue a denial of coverage simply for the fact that you failed to advise them of the situation and they had no way to investigate on their own.If you go through your insurance company they will do an investigation and even if they pay, they will ensure that the case is closed and you are not exposed.

@Sean Price The market is good, but I do get the feeling it is much better in other parts of the country, so relatively speaking it's not good compared to other areas.However in absolute terms the market here is doing pretty well, with both rents and prices rising a good amount in the last couple of years.So if you're already set on Rhode Island, I think you could do reasonably well as an investor or agent.Every town has its pluses and minuses so I think it really depends on where you settle, how far you want to travel (especially if you're managing properties yourself), etc.Many people like to focus on Pawtucket because it's closest to Mass. and is close to the Attleboro T stop... but many people are also aware of this, so there's more competition there.So there aren't really any secrets or "tips" to give out, since most market participants (or their agents) are in tune with the market for things like that.Another area you could investigate is the west side of Providence which includes Federal Hill, but again, that's no big secret, many people know that area's been improving, and prices have reflected that.My suggestion is that you get settled in on the ground and then start investigating areas yourself, talking to agents, attending or joining at least one real estate networking group such as RIREIG in RI or Black Diamond REI for southern Mass, and seeing what areas appeal to you for the factors that are important to you.Good luck, and of course as you have questions along the way feel free to post them here on BP :)