07
Part 07 of 12 · Consideration
Where to Buy: Zooming Out to Find the Right Market
The most common investing mistake is buying close to home because it feels familiar. This guide starts with the whole map instead: metro versus regional, the market indicators that actually matter, how the property clock works and where it falls short, and how to build a shortlist of markets from data.
Inside this guide
- Why starting with the whole map beats buying where you live
- The real risk and reward of metro versus regional markets, and why Eddie holds no regional properties
- The seven market indicators to check, and what each read in September 2026
- How the property clock works, how Eddie has read cycles in practice, and the clock's limits
- Why spreading across states reduces risk, and how to build your own market shortlist
Tools in this guide
Market Research Checklist (state and city, then suburb or area) and the worksheet Market shortlist: compare three markets.
Your next step
Use the checklist and the shortlist worksheet to compare three markets side by side, using the latest data from the sources listed at the back of the guide. Then move to Part 8 to find the right property within them.
On your reading path: Your library
General information only. Not financial, credit, tax or legal advice. Historical examples are not a reliable indicator of future results. See the important information inside the guide.