Where We’d Invest in Real Estate in 2026 (If We Could Buy Anywhere)

January 16, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

The Format: Casual panel chat among three real estate experts, structured as three "rounds" where each picks three investment markets, with lively banter and data dives.
The Key Players:
- Dave Meyer: Head of real estate investing at BiggerPockets, main host; picks Northeast and Midwest markets, focuses on contrarian affordability.
- Ashley Kehr: Host of the Real Estate Rookie show; favors growth spots like Florida and Texas, emphasizes short-term rentals and new development.
- Henry Washington: Experienced investor; targets "boring" cash-flow markets in the South and Midwest, prioritizes rent-to-price ratios.
The Vibe: Educational yet fun and competitive—banter flies about "hating" Florida or West Virginia's "sexiness," with high energy and insider tips.

🗝️ Key Themes & Topics

The episode ranks 9 top U.S. markets for rental property buys in early 2026, based on affordability, cash flow (rent-to-price ratios ~0.6-0.76), job growth, low vacancy, and landlord-friendliness. Hosts stress diverging regional conditions, urging data over hype.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **🎙️ Introduction: Ashley Kehr & Henry Washington**
2 (01:51) **Round 1: Hattiesburg, MS (Henry)**
3 (05:23) **Round 1: Ocala, FL (Ashley)**
4 (09:06) **Round 1: Hartford, CT (Dave)**
5 (15:58) **Round 2: Fredericksburg, TX (Ashley)**
6 (18:27) **Round 2: Knoxville, TN (Dave)**
7 (20:45) **Round 2: Morgantown, WV (Henry)**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

If we could invest in real estate anywhere in the country, where would we put our money? It’s a new year, and markets have already shifted, changing where the best buying opportunities are. So today, Ashley Kehr (from the Real Estate Rookie podcast), Henry, and Dave are back to share their updated 2026 best places to buy rental property list!

These markets span multiple states, but many have affordable home prices (some even below $200K!). But of these top markets, which one would we make the biggest bet on?

These markets fly under the radar—we’re not talking about big cities like Miami, Austin, Chicago, or Denver. Many of these may be real estate markets you’ve only heard of once or twice, but once you hear the numbers, you might take a deeper look. If you want cash-flowing cities with landlord-friendly laws, we have them. If you want appreciation potential in affordable pockets of the country, we’ve got that, too. And, if you want to buy a rental in the birthplace of Mountain Dew, you’re in luck.

Each of these cities is broken down into metrics that matter most to investors: average home price, rent price, rent-to-price ratio, population growth, job growth, and more. These aren’t just “cheap” markets with low home prices, but “sleeper” cities that only the savviest investors know about.

In This Episode We Cover

A cash-flowing college town with home prices that are below $200K

The hurricane-safe southern city that is growing at lightning speed

An affordable “sleeper” market between two very unaffordable cities

Small multifamilies and Mountain Dew: this market has plenty of both

You can buy a home for around $160,000 in this Mid