Oh, and I highly recommend you work with an agent to help you with the search.

Oh boy, I have the same dilemma all the time, although it seems a lot easier to give advise on someone else's project...I would leave the color of the siding, pressure washing and some fresh caulk will go a long way.

I own rental property in Ohio but when I bought them everything was handled by the seller and I currently have a deal in escrow that is a land contract on a property owned free and clear that was done thru a real estate agent.

Good luck investing in Ohio - Cincy, Columbus and Dayton are markets that I invest in as well.

Oh, on the opposite side of this wall are some additional pantry areas with shelves and another recessed area for more cabinets.I had hope to put the fridge there, but it's not deep enough - only 24".

I've looked into many properties offered to me in desert California, city of Detroit, upstate New York, urban Ohio and other places where I can't make them work if you give them to me.

I too was worried about buying in an unknown area and I ended up buying in Ohio...I've NEVER been to Ohio!

OH never quite reached the lows of Church Hill or Jackson Ward, but it also hasn't seen the same level of rehab love that those neighborhoods have either, so there is some great investment there too.

Oh, and I would take that award check to the bank!

Oh wait..turns out i did.