There is a saying in business, "Don't trip over dollar bills trying to pick up pennies".  

Soon we will be taking short trips to many of these cities to get the lay of the land, and I will be looking for local real estate investors who wouldn't mind a free lunch to network and discuss the local market and their experience living and investing there.Looking forward to networking and contributing to the BP Community!

Many have an option to join virtually, but if you're going to travel to an area to scout it, plan your trip around some local meetups and attend while you're there.

Thinking of taking a trip to check out the area for myself.

New construction easily costs $40-100k per lot BEFORE breaking ground, and most of California would've needed to build 10,000+ housing unit per year FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES to keep our housing prices on par with the rest of the country.http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-california-high-housing-prices-20160414-story.htmlSo if you hear people talking about the "bubble bursting soon" or anything like that, they're tripping.

Investment Info:Bought some land in Fredericksburg Texas to create an STR for those avid hunters and wining trips.

One thing I like about Chattanooga for STRs is it isn't a huge tourist destination that relies on people taking big trips to get there. 

It can give you a good idea on where to start looking.I would also suggest taking a trip here and see for yourself.

I drove 5 hours round trip and spent a night near the property so I could clean it out better and then drive home the next day.

I would also add in their eventually take a few trips to the market you are researching.