Virtually every smart value add will add more value in the higher cost market than it will add in a lower cost market.  

I’ve flipped in the dc area for years, right now there is just money & in the vast majority of cases there is high likelihood of losing money, right now the best investments in the area imo are buy & hold, I’ve even gone full circle and while I really liked value add for most of the last decade I think in a lot of ways new construction especially in more affordable markets (I’m personally a big fan of the eastern shore market) is a much better way to make money long term than flipping and brrring while I know they are sexy & certainly you getting a huge paycheck is great, there just isn’t any money in it right now, especially in nova. 

How can I go about searching for deals/properties that appreciate in value over time?

Va.17.8%2.6%28-310.9%2.2 pp* Note: Some metrics for the Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Rochester metro areas are under review and unavailable.MethodologyRealtor.com housing data as of May 2024.

I'm assuming these organizations would pay far below market value for land, but there are obviously also some significant tax benefits that may potentially offset the "lower-than-market" valuation you may receive when selling to them. 

as Update to this post from 6 years ago, there are heloc's on owner occupied 2-4 unit properties up to 89.90% CLTV or combined loan to values (meaning multiple loans but all together not exceeding 90% of the value).Terms typically areinterest only first 10 years and drawable from the lineyears 11-30 its Principal and interest payment Prime index/rate + margin (this portion is fixed but prime is not)underwriting is done assume prime + margin + 2% stress test for underwriting meaning if your prime + margin was 10% then your underwriting rate used to determine your maximum line you can qualify for would be 12% rate as an example based on principal and interest payment over 30 years or 360 monthsIncome is the main determinant of your qualification and fico min 680+ is just the min score to get through the "front door,"Maximum DTI or debt to income allowed is 45% DTIMaximum lines on this product go from 500-750k so you can get a decent line size that can actually buy other BRRR's or fix flips and deals.

For example if you are buying a value-add property at a 4 cap, but the market stabilized cap is a 5, and you are holding for 5 years, you would expand the cap rate to a 5.5 exit cap.

With greater appreciation, you can leverage that increased value through a HELOC or cash-out-refinance to purchase or rehab your next investment property.Where to begin?

There are so many so be sure to filter by your location. 4) Review Dave Meyer’s The State of Real Estate Investing Report 2024 (in your resource page as a member of BiggerPockets!)

I would probably focus on a single STR (if that was the route you went) and find something of slightly higher value for a larger proportion of accelerated depreciation.