I have lived in the general area for 18 years. It is one of the best. The location to the freeways is optimum and it seems you could be anywhere, Akron, Mentor, Elyria in 20 minutes. Some of the changes I have noticed is that when the market was good, it seemed a lot of people bought to rent out. Problem is, the landlords rented cheap (most often to section 8) and didn't seem to take care of the house. Personally I don't understand this because in so doing the value of the home drops (bringing with it the value of the neighborhood) then the landlord can only charge so much for the next tenants. One would think it would be in the landlords best interest to do the opposite. Keep the house nice, thereby increasing its value and keeping the neighborhood value.... I don't understand.

I applaud your entreprenuerial spirit, Joe. I also agree with Shaunna, it's very hard to predict. Obviously, ten years down the road is more optimal than five, if you are looking for more assurance about appreciation. The key will be the price at which you purchase it. Do you have the ability or wherewithall (cash) to fix a place up? South Hills is one of the areas in Cleveland that experienced higher sales prices over the past five years and is, in my opinion, one of Cleveland's hidden treasures as far as neighborhoods go.
I just checked the computer listings; there is a home on Gino listed for less than $100k; same with a house on Judie and one on Century. These purchase prices would allow you to rent at a reasonable rate and keep tenants - it made me feel comfortable saying that yes, since this is a neighborhood people love to live in, you could do what you are suggesting and at a reasonable price.

Good luck with your search!

Joe, the South Hills area of Cleveland is an area which houses many city employees and long time residents. I appreciate the South HIlls area, being one who must reside in the city of Cleveland. However, while I hope this area appreciates 5-10 years from now, I cannot state this as a fact.

Please keep in mind there are many determining factors to consider. The asking/purchase price, the average sale price in the area as well as the current market. There are many websites that you can research to find home values such as http://www.homevalues.com or http://www.zillow.com. Or simply do a general search on house values. - Good Luck!