Drivers license, voting records, amazon mailing address, bank statements, conversations with neighbors, presence at the neighborhood cookouts etc.   

I'm in Columbus, Ohio, and this market is primed for explosive growth, with massive drivers like Ohio State University, Intel, Nationwide, etc.

If the area has economic drivers that can support a long term rental, it sounds worth keeping with the equity you've got in it already at this early stage.

If your rents do not keep pace with inflation, sooner or later, you will find yourself back on the daily worker treadmill.Population GrowthThe primary driver of demand is population growth.

Come to Columbus, there are still 1% deals, but the more attractive part is the population growth and other economic drivers!

Slightly outdated, but for cash flow:https://www.biggerpockets.com/...If you want appreciation, look for cities with strong economic drivers (large universities, hospitals, employers, investment/development, etc.)

I still come across 1% deals in Columbus and Cleveland, with more cashflow and slightly cheaper deals in Cleveland, while significant economic drivers (OSU, Nationwide, Intel, Nationwide Children's Hospital, etc.) make Columbus a very attractive destination for appreciation. 

All the reasons you want to collect that deposit(offset risk for damage to the unit) is what will get you when you hold back funds wrong or a tenant gets mad that you held back too much.  

Columbus shows consistent appreciation, and has large drivers of demand, like Ohio State and all of its facilities, as well as Intel coming in, which will bring thousands of jobs to Columbus.

What are the drivers in Ohio?