Buying them while the market is still sky rocketing and that rocket is just getting started is great, but buying after a few years of unsustainable growth at what could end up becoming the beginning of the next decline, would tear into my net worth hard and fast.

As an MSA Cleveland is comparable to Columbus, but on a city level there is no comparison between Columbus and Cleveland...I would suspect that any tax increases directly impacting Cleveland city would be in alignment with what's tolerable and possible- which isn't much...unfortunately, they have had a steadily declining population for 40-years....it's just the way of a declining city.

. - Current population growing or declining?

However, Total Sold has two straight years of decline, while Avg DOM rose for the first time since hitting a high in 2012.

Or if there is a sense of a declining rental market, you're going to lose money even at a 10 cap if rents go down.What cities are you specifically looking at?

If not the state DOT (department of transportation) usually has a site with traffic counts year over year to see if growing, stagnant, or declining.

We get request all the time to manage homes in 38127, but decline.  

I’d give the tenant 5k to decline his option.

(best way I can put it)  A family member with declining health has lived in this all of his life and has been the only resident since his mother passed away over 30 years ago. 

Was there a decline in rental income?