And here's the local crime last month:4 crimes total: Cruelty to a child, a house burglary, petty theft, and a car robbery all several blocks away.

A home around the block recently sold for $690,000 fully updated and spot on with bedrooms and sq ft.

My primary residence which is just a few blocks away.

I'd suggest looking for houses that are the ugliest on the block in good areas (ie they are outdated cosmetically, but still have good bones and the major systems are still in good shape). 

It was cinder blocks in an L shape coming from the bldg and I believe the steps were concrete.  

@Jay HinrichsIt’s the title agency that’s throwing up the road blocks.

This would be the case for large areas, blocks of properties.

Based on colors and such, I’ve found quartz to be pretty similarly priced to granite (in the cheaper price categories at least).

Some HOA's can have  TON of control of how you run it as a rental...... some limit the number of units in their building that can be rentals....have a say in who your tenant is...... forbid ArBNB..... dictate colors etc etc etc.....They don't tend to appreciate as much as a SFR and you give up some control and cash flow..... so it has to be the "right" condo to make it work.

I'd also play up the Fall colors we get here in the mountains starting in September.