Quote from @David Robert: Quote from @Jaycee Greene: Quote from @David Robert: I recently became aware of a very cheap property (roughly half of after repair value) and upon looking at it in person I found out why it was so cheap: there is severe cigarette damage throughout the 1st floor (basement less so, but not entirely without damage); there is visible dripping tar on every wall and the smell is awful.

Cheap entry with a solid cash flow.I would love to connect with others that are investing in rental properties in Blythe or other similar areas in Southern California to learn more.

and where you could start with a house hack... which is the best and most powerful way to get started.now, should you buy a random, 'cheap' (supposedly) property in some random market you may never live in or have any connection to, before you're settled, just to own an investment property? 

Instead of evicting them, i was thinking is there some way that I could rent it back to him for very cheap (mainly to cover just the taxes/ insurance) ie 2k a year rather than the going rate of 2k a month for similar properties.

dirt cheap!  

I think build to rent is a great option if you can get cheap enough land to make it worth it.

I was told by a local experienced investor that insurance companies will always go cheap with paying out to contractors in the event a property needs to be rebuilt. 

.: Quote from @JD Martin: The 1% "rule" is just about dead everywhere outside of the midwest and some places in the south that are still relatively cheap.

The entirety of these cities aren't just comprised of cheap run down properties. 

It's cheap and easy.