I’m very familiar with the area after graduating from SUNY Albany and lived in a few surrounding neighborhoods.

With the kids, I think you should buy the best neighborhood and schools possible.

super cash flow, easy to rent, great neighborhood. 

I am currently working on a home in Oakland in the Laurel neighborhood, so I spend a lot of time in Oakland these days.

Parts of Deptford can be great, but there is not much residential around the mall or big shops, so most of it is a B/C neighborhood I would say.

Finding the Deal-I had a weekend to see 16 properties that I had narrowed down on the MLS to be the best "deals", with all things considered (distance from work, neighborhood, market rents, VA eligibility, etc etc).

The rents and ARV both came in about 10% higher than I expected due to neighborhood appreciation, so some part was just good luck.

Be aware that you have to know your neighborhoods in Baltimore though, I'd be hesitant to purchase sight-unseen (assuming you're deployed and can't get back to see the homes yourself).  

I see great potential and ROI in this area as I grew up in this neighborhood and have watched it transform positively! 

I'm interested in the Lowell market because it seems to cash flow better than some areas in Southern Middlesex and it strikes a balance between cheap-ish housing prices and how nice the neighborhoods are.That said, I just moved to Massachusetts from LA recently and I'm very new the area.