What about areas that they are trying to revitilize? Are those areas a good investment? I am just afraid that the area will never grow they way they planned or what it to.

That depends, if there is still a lot of traffic through there, or if they are revitalizing by tearing down old buildings and putting up new ones then it will probably do pretty well. The bank I work at now used to have a waterpark 4 years ago on the same piece of ground.

Yes, there is quite a bit of traffic. So far there has not been alot of actual tearing down of buildings but from my understanding they are supposed to get rid of some of the unsightly ones and rework the ones that just need an update.

If you are not in on the plans, and haven't seen sketches, I'd be patient and wait.

Revitilization is rather risky. You are talking about an area that may have a negative reputation, and cleaning it up will not solve the problem. Sometimes these areas get cleaned up but the residents end up trashing the place.

Dig deep. Do the research. Be a serious negotiator to hedge any risk. Understand the people (are they poverty-level, middle-income?) and are they going to move? Are good people going to move in? Are these the type of people who pay rent consistently? Are there good schools nearby? Is there a good job source (e.g. large company) nearby where people would like to live close to work? Are their parks, golf courses, nice restaurants, shopping malls, etc. nearby?

There is no clear cut answer. You have to do the research and understand your risks. I'd talk to several commercial and residential real estate agents to get their opinion. Just know what you are getting into.

Lastly, do not invest money into real estate that you may need within the next 10 years (at least). Yes, I said *10* years. You need to be able to sell/rent on *your* terms, not someone else's. You cannot do this if there are time constraints (e.g. if you are retiring in 5 years and will need to sell).

Chris

....Ok..