@Joseph VelezMy business partner just came back from a trip there with his family and asked me that same exact question.

if you have weekends free, you could make trips to some of the markets you mentioned and look at as many properties as you possibly can. 

We take a proactive/preventative management approach to our homes and sometimes owner's complain about the 4 or 5 trips taken to the property for inspections, gutter cleanings, furnace PM's etc.

I am taking trip to Indiana to look at my first rental property.  

I always start there then go to the city.the engineer could look at it and say NOPE does not meet density or set backs or what have you and save you to trip to the city..

But if you are willing to make the extra trip and can put a sizable down payment towards your investment, then taking advantage of vacation loan programs is an excellent way to save money while building equity in your future extra home!

In a recent trip to Manhattan and tl the WTC...I spoke with someone who was also visiting the Trade Center and lived in NJ about some of my REI interests where I am at in Delaware and, how one day, I would like to invest somewhere in the northern NJ market.

Who knows, maybe because those folks are now on yachts in Key West and I'm not!

I find it necessary to make several trips to a target market to meet people.

I’ve had hours and hours of conversations and two trips to Indy to deal with the property managers.