The number one key to making money in real estate investing is marketing and finding good deals. Many of the best deals on the market today are the houses that are sitting vacant. Vacant houses in middle income neighborhoods are our bread and butter. We try to avoid total war zones (places where there is a high crime rate). The best neighborhoods to invest in are areas where a lot of other real estate investors are buying in and/or areas where a lot of first time home buyers are buying in.
To find out which areas are the best to invest in you will want to contact local realtors and have them run the most recent sales for your area.