Population growth and net immigration. 

Part of that low risk, is asset price growth and rent growth being quite strong in DC. 

It's more affordable anyway and is in a unique opportunity to experience asset growth over the next decade on top of its already high income-generating potential.

If you were to look more into some tools to use below are some that we use regularly (job growth & supple/demand)-https://www.deptofnumbers.com/...https://weareapartments.org/da...

For a few years had a few hundred doors I cared for with a small Boutique PM company locally where I ran the entire operation prior to parting ways with my partner to join the then 2-year-old company Mynd, who's since exploded in growth.

One issue is how difficult it is to find multi families around here, but the projected growth is very promising.

There are a number of markets with prices in the range that you are looking for but Indy and KC have better economic and demographic fundamentals such as job growth and population growth.

As to how would I go about learning the markets....research listed properties and those sold, population growth or decline, job increases or decreases and types of jobs, capital improvements by city/town, how are the schools, what's the typical sales price , what does the typical sales price house look like, what are typical rehab costs for that area, and the specifics from good neighborhoods and bad, etc etc.Do the items listed above change, of course but they don't tend to change overnight and the mentee would be shown how to get all of this information. 

San Jose and Oakland show similar slow growth in recent months.So what’s the moral of the story?

The best growth area has been Seaside due to the military and hospitality industry requiring housing.