If Detroit has natural market factors indicating long-term growth prospects, why would more investors make that risky all of a sudden?

@Brian PloszayThe attractiveness of natural gas over electricity is location dependant - there are places where it is not significantly cheaper.Regardless of the fuel source for you heat, your best bang-for-efficiency-buck comes from air sealing and insulating the building envelope.

But I do know realistically those are probably hard to find.So as an alternative, I'm looking for a real estate agent who has worked with out of town investors and who are willing to work on weekends because that's when I'm free.

Alternatively, some will let you search and if you input the street name it will lost all of the addresses.

Naturally I like to keep the renter in place but how would I fit in and turn that renter into my sublease tenant?

I haven't gotten to the point where I max out tax deferred and "backdoor contributions" (it's a goal)  But you have me thinking...I also have some gold and silver and I think I've read "alternative investments" should make up around 10% of a diversified portfolio.....would real estate qualify as an "alternative investment?"

Although there are many variations, a cap rate is often calculated as the ratio between the net operating income produced by an asset and the original capital cost (the price paid to buy the asset) or alternatively its current market value."

Short or long term, by the room or by the unit, and Craigslist or Airbnb/VRBO/Homeaway.I think these components will naturally fit together as such (based on being in Honolulu):Short term, by the unit, and Airbnb/VRBO/Homeaway - I believe short term rentals are best rented by the unit (not by the room) and are best marketed on VR-type websites.Long term, by the room (or unit), and Craigslist - long term rentals could be by the unit or room and are best marketed on Craigslist.In Hawaii, Craigslist is pretty comprehensive when it comes to long term rentals. 

Steve, your client need to setup self-directed IRA with a custodian allowing alternative investments, rollover their funds and invest.

@frandy blain Do you have any alternative apart from PML?