Good morning BiggerPockets,i'm new to investing and before the end of the year I am very serious about purchasing a few rental properties in Maryland, North Carolina, and potentially the Philadelphia area.

@Tom Ott This area is on the north end of that price range.

There is a building with a dentist office on the east side of Georgia north of Forest Glen Ave about half way to wheaton.

I'm currently 3 years into my South Lake Tahoe property and in the process of acquiring one on the North Shore (although price points make for slim pickings right now in that area). 

I can tell you how I got started - in my 20's just out of the Army - I thought the world owed me a living since I served in Germany for 3 years charged with protecting America - well ---- that wasn't the case - I was just another X-GI who did his duty - employers didn't need someone who could shoot an M-1, march in formation and guard military property with an empty rifle - so I found some jobs in sales- I hated working for someone else - so my friend was learning how to invest in real estate and suggested I do the same - so  I started taking seminars, reading books, buying tapes (remember those?)

As a Broker, i can attest the market is hot, and prices in some areas are starting to rise, its not stupid yet, but the lending hasn't gotten stupid yet either. my outlook is one of 3 things, we are one "major event" (terrorist attack, war, natural disaster) away from a market shift, so far gas is rising post Houston, and all is silent about the North Korea missile.

If you decide to look at properties in the north central areas of CT, give me a shout.

Hi All, does anyone have a good recommendation for contractors in Gastonia that understands historic restoration?  I would appreciate any help you can provide!Thanks!

I've focused mostly on North Oakland -- Longfellow, Temescal, Bushrod -- but I would also consider looking around Lake Merritt.  

This helped us identify what the past few years of population growth data looked like for SE North Carolina.