If you're going to invest in the Midwest where a lot of turnkey properties are located you need to be sure that the population is growing or at least stable and not projected to decline.

As an investor focusing on wholesaling to build capital, if I approach an owner offering to buy their property cash at a discount, if they decline because they want to get top dollar I’m stuck.

While the inflation is still elevated, we started to see a graduate decline in interest rates.

Below is a table showing population growth for the cities you listed.Static or declining populations is why prices are low and there will be little increase in prices or rents.CrimeAnother factor is crime.

If either city or state population is static or declining, there will be limited demand for housing, which means that rents and prices will not increase.The metro’s population exceeds 1 million.

The don't understand the market and buy in areas with super low rental demand or in a declining/bad neighborhood.

Every day that goes by, the buying power of the rent you receive will decline.

It's a popular destination for young professionals and college students at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, making it an excellent location for investors.On the other hand, here are some neighborhoods you may want to avoid:East Lake: This neighborhood has struggled with high crime rates and poverty, making it difficult to find tenants or sell properties in this neighborhood.North Birmingham: Similar situation as East Lake, high crime rates, etc.Fairfield: While Fairfield has a mix of single-family homes and apartments, it has struggled with increasing crime rates and a declining population in recent years.If you have any other questions about investing in Birmingham, feel free to reach out!

If you're looking to invest in downtown (Inner Harbor, Canton, Fed Hill, Fells Point, Harbor East, etc, then those neighborhoods definitely carry some of the least risk in the entire city.And to vaguely answer your other question, Baltimore will not get you very much appreciation, it has had a declining population for the last 70 years, is extremely tenant friendly, and the Baltimore Orioles had the worst record in baseball this year (but the Ravens are doing well!)

If Cleveland is your back yard, then I would focus my efforts there, or at least another Ohio market, such as Cincinnati, Columbus.Not a fan of the population decline, but the market does have higher cap rates, and you will be able to find cash flowing deals.