I'm a 30 something guy who has good DIY skills, I work full time as a Landscape Architecture Project Manager at a firm in Boston, MA and (like everybody else) I'm interested in real estate investing.Other than purchasing a 125 year old Victorian as my primary residence and rehabbing it for 5 years, I have no actual real estate investing experience.  

I am currently live in London where I work full time building statistical models for banks.

This, while just a rule of thumb as @Joe Villeneuve mentions is an average over a lot of statistics.

It is not easy, but believe me that it's natural resources and landscapes are awesome!

A few low cost investments is maybe paying a landscaper to clean up the outside a bit or getting those obvious repairs from car damage repaired to make it look like its possible the inside has been cared for.

The big items in this rehab includes:  -- landscaping - trim trees, remove weeds  -- remove popcorn ceiling, interior paint  -- kitchen/master bath/guest bath - replace counter top and sinks, re-paint cabinets, replace lighting and appliances (kitchen only)  -- garage - replace garage door, remove existing carpet (yes, 50% of the garage is covered in carpet), paint  -- doors - replace all doors   Would really appreciate your recommendation(s)! 

@Elke Cardella Census.gov is great for this:http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25/2574210...Above are the statistics for Wellesley, Mass.

We look @ neighborhood & crime statistics, down to the block if we can get it, to determine if we'll invest on a specific street.  

Both properties are listed near the top of their market for rent because of their location and the included landscaper.  

I seriously thought that was statistically impossible.