Hi guys, I'm following this post because I'm in Evanston and wanted to start investing again with an eye on the northside of Chicago and nearby suburbs if good enough deals could be found.   

My suggestion is to get involved with your HOA, go to all the meetings, and remember you are part of that HOA, get on the Board if you have time, and want to keep an eye on daily functions and financials. 

Further down the line, I'll be keeping my eye on quieter parts of Pigtown as well as Federal Hill.

Been trying to eye ball Fresno for the past year and I definitely saw an increase in overall value in pretty much all neighborhoods.

All of these additions planned to be ready by the Super Bowl here in 2019.Oh and if you need “eyes on the ground” or pictures/videos of your property or areas shoot me a message.

It adds another set of eyes and more often than not the GC catches things the home inspector missed. 

That's why I (very) recently started eying the possibility of diversifying even more dramatically by also investing in real estate!

A professional appraiser's time and expertise are required on the first few deals, at least until one develops an eye for these sort of things.

I agree that if you are not local you will want to stay away from the College Rentals ...there will be high turnover and they dont take care of properties as well if no one is keeping a close eye on the condition of the property.  

Keep in mind that the definition of a bad neighborhood is in the eyes of the investor.