I am a Real Estate Agent who operates in the Philadelphia region, and I also have started my own investing journey (have a duplex in Frankford, as well as a house my fiance and I live in in Somerton).  

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/16/denver-northe...I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on the article above which cites the following prediction from a Connecticut-based company "Scout Vision":The company’s five-year forecast, starting in the first quarter of 2017, predicts a 9.3 percent decline in the region’s median home prices.The comments on the article present some opposing views for reasons such as:the strength and diversity of the region's economyGreat Recession of '08 barely made a dent in metro Denver housing prices and they recovered quicklythe disparity in prices between CO and the states where the influx of people keep coming from is too highOne other factor I can think of is the continuing expansion of CSU. 

Large factor of course is also in what region of Minneapolis.At $1500 for a 3/1 unit in a duplex; you are just bellow market in South, above market in North, and probably about spot on for North East.If you comps are looking at $300k, and your NOI is at $36k, you are coming out at a 12% cap rate, thats decent if you are concerned with cap rate.For an investor @ 25% down:36000/75000 ~= 48% cash on cash return, IF you require no repairs (obviously excluding closing costs in this calc as well).IF you have $75k burning in your pocket this could be enticing.For a owner occupier  @ 5% down:18000/15000 ~= 120% cash on cash return.

I also go by the nearest strip mall and look to see if there's a national/regional bank or a slew of check cashing places.

(Or maybe you can show me the flaw in targeting these regions as they might prove too difficult to general a cash flow).Thanks in advance.

Try contacting regional banks and credit unions if you have not already done so as they tend to be a little easier to work with over the big box banks.

You may want to go to as many credit union and local/regional banks that will give you conventional financing.  

There's also those who started with very little, and grinded their tails off until they were successful.Real estate is definitely a regional market. 

So far we just have the larger national or regional facilitates, two of which are under construction or expanding.

In many cases community/regional/local banks are the way to go as they will keep the loans on their books.