We manage it ourselves now that we live in the area (although we’ve used property management when stationed outside the DC area) and have had a good experience with this buy-and-hold rental.I’m not planning to purchase additional properties in the near term, but would like to continue learning in preparation for expanding our real estate portfolio once I retire from the military in about 5 yrs (probably not in the DC area).  

Some interesting things going on with the downtown Lancaster redevelopment, and is close to the metro station ... still a fairly rough area but may be some serious upside if you can wait it out and handle it in the meantime.

It has an oil tank buried in the back (if it's the one close to the Watsessing Station).  

I'm currently active duty Air Force stationed at Hurlburt Field in Mary Esther Florida (near Destin). 

its not a great house at a great price if noone is buying. and I will say that I have been part of neighborhoods changing for the better. however it's not something that can be easily done it would require moving into the neighborhood and an effort spanning years. and you can't do it alone you need other neighbors on board. it's not easy to gentrify the neighborhood it's not something you do it's something that happens. at least if you're close to the sheriff station it will discourage criminals and people with warrants outwhereare  the younger families buying homes and price your home under that.

I really need to look more into RE investing, i dont know enough about it to truly know what you are talking about, most of my knowledge of real estate investing it just winging it as i go over the years, i honestly didnt look at it as an investment at first and just bought houses were i was stationed at in the military instead of renting, then rented them out after moving to a new station... thus turning into a investment, i never picked out any of the properties i own as an investment or picked them out knowing i would make more money if i bought it in a certain area... i just bought would i liked over the years...

To save water, have the tenants share the shower, only take one bath a week, flush the toilet only after 5 uses, remove the water meter and replace it with a connector pipe (so no water is being metered), have tenants only use bottle water to drink and cook with, take showers at vacant for sale  houses where you have the key box code (make friends with your local agent), wash up in the morning in the bathroom at a local restaurant or gas station. ;-)OK, I am only kidding.The only appliance you have that can be replace with a higher efficiency unit would be the water heater.Bill the tenants for water use, make copies of the water bill and have the tenants pay per sq. ft. of the space they rent.Water bills for our family properties has always been a problem.Often times the meter is not read or miss-readIf you have your own meters installed, the burden is that you have to read it every quarter.

I went to the fire station nearby and drew floor plans and locations of furniture, etc. for the police. 

The population has been growing here year over year over the last decade, it is home to The Ohio State University which has over 50,000 students that live here along with those that visit, and it also holds a diverse range of young professionals and traveling nurses to fill the demand of the multiple business corporations and hospitals stationed here.

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