I'm a newbie to investing and this will be my first property, however, I grew up in Philly.

Want to see how someone from a small town grew a network of agents and offices across the country....because they tapped out their market.   

'how would you like to own a fund that grew 40% last year?)

i also have a property with Freaky Fast and i think they grew too freakin' fast for their bridges.

I grew up in Cincinnati, near Fairfield actually and know the area a little bit.

Where I grew up in rural MO, though, you could almost certainly get away with it.

We own the 50 acre farm I grew up on and the useful life of the buildings/systems on it has been passed at this point.  

We are investing because we know the area well and grew up with some of the people who run the street gangs (never involved just went to school with) That puts me in a unique position to keep squatters out of the vacant rehabs and don't have to worry about breaking in to take copper and what not.

Or you may know a market really well because you went to college there or grew up there.

I actually grew up with the son of the guy who started it; great people.