I work with first time home buyers, investors, I handle short sales, and I am even trying to get a million dollar listing with my friend.

If you look at net migration patterns especially the senior population that is in the tens of millions and more most are moving to warm belt states.Some urban core areas of cold belt states are doing well but the burbs and rural locations in a lot of those areas are dying off.I would not be excited about investing in such places even if the prices were low for long term success.Their are local investors in cold belt states creating legacies investing in those areas that never plan to leave but for an outside investor looking for a possible target market it doesn't seem to make sense.

Also so many big name company's are now investing MILLIONS of dollars as for Detroit is now a growing market. 

One slip up and the deal falls apart - and with the average sale price of over a million, people are not doing it themselves, nor should they be.  

My partner and I are in contract to purchase a franchise that has the potential to make millions. 

@Mike Adams I have no idea your exact budget or criteria but just going off your first post it seems that you are looking at million dollar plus investments, if that is the case look into jersey city heights, it is a neighborhood in jersey city that is on the rise.  

I have the means to come up with the down payment and get financing.The question is how do I get courage to buy my first two million dollar rental property?

I have a $2 million umbrella policy on top of my landlord policies. 

Fast forward to today: Milwaukee has been in the news lately quite a bit - Foxconn (one of the largest manufacturers of consumer electronics with 1.3 million employees) has announced a 10 billion dollar investment in a new plant creating up too 13.000 well paying jobs in Southeast Wiscinsin, probably Racine or Kenosha - close to the lake.

Large development corps will have millions if not billions behind them and then hire staff etc.Homebuilders in many markerts are also developers the hat is kind of interchangeable.