Quote from @Ray Joseph: If you attend a local meetup, I'm sure you'll find investors that operate in other cities or states.And you have thousands of out-of-state investors to mingle with right here!

This is why I build outside city limits.

I am an advocate for Philadelphia, particularly for those like yourself who are local to the area with knowledge of the city.

This unit has already been indicated by the city that it can be approved as a 3rd unit.

Very interested in the Cleveland/Ohio market in addition to a few other cross-border cities closer to Toronto. 

If necessary to go through city or not..

I used to live in the city and the taxes and water bills are nightmares.

With that said, I've done some research on the market and found the following information helpful in my considerations for Phoenix that you might find helpful as well:  Demand for both buying and renting property remains high due to the city's strong economy and growing population. 

Price-to-rent ratios are solid, and there’s still room for appreciation in the right areas.The key is understanding the nuances of the city—it’s not a market where you can just buy blind and expect good results.

There are a lot of affordable properties in Knoxville, but the growth isn't terribly vibrant and the deman isn't what you'd expect for a city of that size and that close to the Smokies - you're mostly looking at college rentals for the meat of the move season, and the SF market, while it exists, doesn't really compare to Chattanooga.