This shows what kind of zoning they want going where and the growth pattern.

Basically I model out for my clients very conservative growth patterns so with an apartment complex you will have principal paydown, tax writedown, hopefully appreciation through increased annual rents, and also cap rate compression hopefully when you sell, and cash flow along the way.

Buying a multi family should allow you to do that (I'd start with a 2-4 unit for your first one, which will allow you to use conventional financing).So, before you start, get your reserves, identify your target area, develop your criteria list, interview and find a realtor and property manager, and then decide if you feel comfortable investing sight unseen or not, and go from there.

@Joshua Dorkin has a lot of sweet things coming on the app in the near future, so stay tuned :) And definitely let us know when you find patterns in the crashing, so we can try to identify them all!

Identify the median price for a home in your general area.2.

The big companies that run large numbers of stations are probably a lot better at identifying potential locations than the average person.Plus many gas stations are just branded franchises and most of those are on leased property.

Let me know if you need info.Until you get MLS you can use Zillow.com to identify properties.If you are looking for commercial try Loopnet.comMake sure you get the freeUltimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing at http://www.biggerpockets.com/ubgGood luckPaul

Maybe some of the locals here can help to identify some of the better performing markets right now?

Kidding aside, time is money, especially in a flipping business where you are still juggling other jobs, you have to focus on $200/hr work, not $20/hr work.Also, do your homework and identify the best areas and price ranges for flipping.

As you build your list of investors, you'll get a sense of how much money you could reasonably raise on short notice, and that information will dictate your shopping patterns when you are looking for property.