Need an affordable contractor to do paint and flooring for a small apartment in Pawtucket, RI.

With $100K to work with, you can buy 3 properties in an affordable market like Indianapolis and Kansas City which are both strong cash flow markets.

The entertainment and conversations about what NOT to do when owning buy and hold properties is priceless. 

@Nick Paynter the Lansing market is still affordable and provides good returns.

I would aim for smaller homes still at 3/2 in areas that are a bit more affordable to enter.

Opportunity is everywhere, and my view is once you get into an area of 50,000+ people with a growing, diverse economic base that has reasonably good climate and access to transportation and entertainment.  

As far as your cost of living going up, if you are able to afford it and make it make sense, then I’d say your are probably in a good spot.

From my experience and networking... generally your south east and mid west states posses affordable housing (150-200k) that cash flow.

The key term that you need to continually emphasize to them is that "you're looking to create Affordable Housing."

You have the US-style standard properties that only the foreigners and wealthy and upper middle-class Mexicans can afford and buy.