Would appreciate any advice.  

Appreciate the input. 

It is about the long term appreciation of the asset.

On top of that, you get great appreciation and very landlord friendly laws.

Not sure about crime and the appreciation potential. 

In my market, which has been fairly stable with a 3-5% appreciation rate over the last 20+ years, a house that was bought over 10 years ago will normally have enough equity for me to be able to buy it at a low enough price to wholesale it.

Does the return now (rental income, asset appreciation, etc) outweigh the potential for rates to slightly drop in the unknown future?

Conduct thorough market research to understand rental demand, property appreciation potential, vacancy rates, neighborhood trends, and economic indicators.Please take some time to review your financial goals and develop a strong financial plan for acquiring and overseeing new properties.

Any advice or a point in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. 

Very nice, very respectful and overall super pleasant and appreciative...BUT...they checked in and wondered if I had a wall clock, they needed a reading light, wondered about a 6' extension cord or if I could get them one, were there more hangers etc.