I agree with Nigel,

These 3 cities in particular are the most depressed of all US real estate markets. There are far too many companies set up selling to investors who get sucked in by the low prices & high rent returns in these cities. Do your research, look at the demographics. The low & attractive prices are so low because nobody wants to live there….let alone buy them. No point getting excited about a 30% gross return when by the time vacancy & taxes are considered you have nothing left.

You know I have looking at this forum for a long time now regarding USA investments and nobody has once mentioned the importance of the properties location according to the ISD (Independant School District) that your property is in. People in most US cities choose to live in an area according to the school district that your in which is pretty important if your trying to attract tenants. A quality school area would tend to attract quality tenants.

I have just come back from the US on a trip to view property investment potential and would only put my money in Texas real estate

Suggest that anybody interested in the above seminar first of all google "Dymphna Boholt" and then make up their own mind

Hi Turneg01

I can't assist you with suburbs or area's although could refer you through to a reputable real estate agency based in Auckland. As far as apartments go…….I have been told there is simply an oversupply. A company called BlueChip went broke in NZ and took a lot of investors money with them. A have a lot a NZ clients who were caught up and lost money and now have units that are nowhere near what they paid and hard to rent due to oversupply.

The New Zealand Budget was handed down in May 2010. Prior to that they formed a Tax Working Group to work out how they could "fix" the tax system in NZ. The Working Group targeted property investors and looked at a few options.
1. Capital Gains Tax which they don't have in NZ. 
2. A Land Tax.
3. A horrible tax that would have taxed an investors equity in property and
4. Changes to Depreciation Allowances

The government decided and announced in the May Budget that they would not introduce options 1, 2, 3 but introduced changes to Building Depreciation where the current allowance of 3% per annum was reduced to 0% effective 1/4/11 and is restrospective.
Hope this assists

Hi Roxy 3

I would also like to know how your property purchase through myusaproperty has been in hindsight. Have you got tenants, where did you buy, did you get finance in the US, how long did it take

Thanks