@Darryl JenningsHere are some of the metrics that I find valuable to understand:- Population - Home Values- Household Incomes- Rental Vacancy Rate- Homeowner Vacancy Rate- Poverty Rate- Educational Attainment Rate (High School/GED & Bachelors)- Number of Housing Unit- Rent to Income Ratio- Rent to Price Ratio- Population on SNAPS (supplemental nutrition assistance program) percentage- Property Tax Rate- Median Age of Buildings- Number of Structures by Units (SFR, Duplex, Triplex, Quadplex, etc...)- Median Rents by Number of Bedrooms- Unemployment Rate- Employment Sectors Percentages These are just some of the indicators that will help you understand the quality of an area as well as the kinds of returns one is to except.By taking into consideration the direction in which each of these metrics are trending, you will better understand where the market a whole may be heading.

@Victoria Coleman population trend is towards moving south.

(up to a million dollars)I'm looking for a Multi-Family in an area with decent population growth and job growth, low crime, and with a good cap-rate... basically the dreamMy plan is to purchase said property with hard money and lock in property management and work on refinancing to better interest rates asap. 

There is a housing shortage in Johannesburg as a result of migration of the population in search of better work opportunities.

Not sure what the solution is but hoping things turn around before Seattle has the affordability and homeless population of San Francisco plus traffic of LA...its like city councils don't ever look at each other and figure out what not to do.

We also have some of the best job and population growth in all of Ohio.

Get to know the market, understand the current cap rates, rent rates, rent trends, affordability rates, population growth, job growth, etc. 

A few things could reveal demand - vacant housing rate in the area, population growth trend, recent and future job growth. 2.

Being new to long term rentals, I am finding that the Colorado Springs market is fantastic for long term buy and holds (increase in the tenant population, military population, etc).

@Javontai Shamburger I've personally never taken any of those 3 day masterclass's but from friends I've heard it's pretty much a scam.Find a few people here on BP or IG that populate free content.