I am looking for a resource (online or otherwise) that can compare different regions across the country by vacancy rate, housing prices, rent income, and economic outlook. I have seen reports for specific areas..but I am looking for a reports that point to the best 5 or so areas in the sunbelt where you can buy a nicer single family home and rent it out with a positive cash flow and enjoy appreciation long term.

Thanks

Would you actually trust another person to evaluate an investment for you in different locations? Would they have the same criteria as you? Do you even have a criteria?

Invest in things where you know about them.... if you don't know about the area, its risk and potential it is not investing.... it is simply speculation or gambling.

Set you own investment criteria and evaluate potential properties to them not some artificial criteria someone else developed that you would probably have no idea how to determine its accuracy.

It would be next to impossible for someone in Florida to evaluate a property in another part of Florida much less Georgia or South Carolina or Texas or any other area outside their specific area of knowledge.... if they say they are all knowing of all areas.... then they no nothing about any area. In real estate it is Location, Location, Location..... and if you do not know the location you can't find "The Location".

google

Try using US Census data to compare things like median household income to the median home price to help you evaluate markets. I doubt you are going to find someone online who is giving away or "selling" information that you are looking for. It is not easy to come by. Many of the big commercial R/E brokerages put out market reports for commercial property types each year and their forecasts. I think Money magazine does a good real estate market issue as well.

I have a report on the Top 20 Appreciating markets. But that could be speculating another strong return:

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050304/NEWS01/503040302/1002/NEWS17

This article came out in our local newspaper but the study has appeared in several newspapers nationwide.