One strategy many investors use is to bring their inspector with them when they view the property so they can spot any major deficiencies before the offer is placed.

Very spot on how accurate and specific this map is imp.  

San Antonio is a good spot, I'm also pretty biased. 

In the long run, if you do decide Cincinnati is your spot I'd 100% suggest a visit or two so you can get a decent feel of the area. 

Even though I have the capital, I'm having a hard time spotting what's viable here. 

They were in bad, bad shape in spots but I spackled the damaged areas (it took multiple attempts in spots due to shrinking of the spackle as it dried) but it was a success. 

I'm in the process of starting a real estate company for Buy and Holding investment properties and wanted to know, how exactly do you spot employment trends marketing trends etc. which in tern would allow you to make better decisions when it comes to purchasing the right property in the right location. 

Just make sure you're in a spot where it will rent. 

Annette is spot on, just furnish it like you would an AirBnb. 

Hi Josh,If you're going to do this, you'll need to find the leak and fix it before fixing the ceiling.If it's wet up there beware of electricity too.The ceiling can be a homeowner fix (how well it's done is up to you and your skill).If you choose to try it, you'll will need to match the drywall texture, and prime the fix and entire discolored area with primer that covers water spots, and repaint the area to match (or the whole ceiling).If the drywall is heavily damaged that will need to be replaced too.The sell texture repair spray to help with this (see YouTube for how to use it).Good Luck!