Columbus is also home to The Ohio State University, one of the largest public universities in the country, as well as L Brands, one of the largest players in the retail industry.  

Overall I would prioritize cashflow over appreciation.

I have little knowledge of the city, and want to prioritize an area with decent schools, that will hold up well in the rental market.

It is a tremendous opportunity that someone like me, a small and insignificant player, to be able to invest with these people. 

I was pretty certain that we would be able to get back in and find assets this time around, but when bigger players come in throwing around those kinds of buy numbers, I'm not sure it's going to be a space we sink into that heavily.

that will make it a lot easier to catch the attention of the top players in the market...

You'll get some credit players that are willing to, and that's where things will get interesting. 

How specific they can be will depend on the area as some locations have not data than others.I don't have a sample report for employers, but it is good to know who the dominate players are, how long they have been there, is the success of your model contingent on the success of those companies?

These stats are in columbus ohio we place tenants. that's assuming professional pictures and listed in the MLS with IDX feeds to all the major players. 

VRBO and Booking.com are other major players.