If you give a GC a budget, 99% of the time, they will max out whatever the budget is.Labor can be scarce in some markets and some locations can be far from the major metro areas; all of which can enable some contractors to collude, stall at various stages and increase your cost significantly.

But I don't see them appreciating in value as much as fully developed cities in the metro.

I want to show you how I was able to put 0% down on a house hack/live-in flip in the Boston metro area…not to toot my own horn, but because I believe that ANYONE can create a good deal when buying a house hack.Deal Backstory: Driving for Dollars, “Farming” and ReferralsFor the past few months, my wife and I have been putting in offers around the Boston metro area only to lose bidding wars with people paying $50k to $100k over asking.

I am 29, single, employed, have ample savings, a full VA loan, and am pre approved for 550k, and looking within an hour of the dc metro area, ideally Harford county MD due to the good schools and military bases near by. 

I invest in the Indianapolis metro area - Class A suburb (bought 11 years ago) and Class C East side of Indianapolis.  

Even my friend faced a similar situation, so she consultes a renowned civil attorney based right here in Paris ( Bechara Tarabay, http://fr.linkedin.com/in/bechara-tarabay-550b7929 )and he helped her really well.

Investing in Ohio, specifically Cleveland,  is a great idea in my opinion.Recently, we have been breaking grounds on large development plans such as the Cleveland Cavalier's Perfomance Center, Blue Abyss aerospace training facility, Sherwin Williams HQ, and not to mention the multi million dollar Metro Health development that was completed recently that has just started adding rapid appreciation in the Clark-Fulton area.These projects will only increase demand and most are in the beginning phases.  

AlabamaEffective Property Tax Rate (2019): 0.37%4Typical Home Value (2022): $189,9766Annual Taxes on Home Priced at State Typical Value: $702.9The current metro area population of Montgomery in 2023 is 374,000, a 1.91% increase from 2022.

Here’s our OPINION for the Metro Detroit market (use as a template for your target area!)

I'd love to hear anyone else's advice, and particularly if you're working in Metro Detroit if you have local or national lenders.