A couple factors that I look at are:- demographics (sex, age, race, marriage status, avg household size, etc)- sales comps- median sales of area- days on market of target price range that my props will sell at- labor force- transportation to city- school districts - access to highways- future economic development

One is that this may be treated as a sham transaction if there is no economic reason for doing this other than tax avoidance.Sounds to me like you are really selling an asset which means a purchase/sale agreement.

One of my friends has moved down there but for the rest of us it is more just an investment opportunity.I have noticed that certain pockets in the U.S. have been strong, mostly due to economic factor, for instance in Texas where all the new drilling is taking place so that is good to see.

I would think that in this REO crisis that the lenders have seen that they often take huge losses on vacant REO properties through theft/vandalism, PM expenses, disgruntled owner damage, and other carrying costs.

Why a mortgaged home purchase is considered any different than buying stock on margin is beyond me.I'd love to be enlightened though.And on another note, are our high schools and colleges failing THIS miserably in educating young adults about basic economics?

My guess is that if you have a dual degree in economics and computer engineering, and can speak spanish, you could land a six figure job right out of college.And, a college education is never a waste.good luck

I would label myself an astute idiot in this regard- knowing there's no possible way I (or trump, or buffet, or bloody Stephen hawking for that matter) could predict what's coming in today's economic environment, I completely forsake capital gain predictions and speculations, go for utmost cash flow, spread geographically to hedge risk, and get the best property managers I can get my hands on, to ensure maximum vacancy regardless of market conditions at any time.

If you really want an incredible unbias analysis of the market place, read the following from the Arizona State University Real Estate Dept & Economics.

Interview: Appraiser Who Brought Down Countrywide By Isaac Peck, Associate EditorThe U.S. housing bubble and the corresponding real estate market crash of 2007-2008 brought about one of the most severe economic downturns in America since the Great Depression.

I knew it was a great rental market (60% rental in the city as opposed to 40% owner occupied) and despite the population trends and Kodak I knew from living there that there was still economic development and growth.