"Savvy real estate investors can still find hidden gems in affordable metros across the country," according to a new report on the top 10 markets for real estate investors from Realtor.com. The report focused on less obvious but very promising markets, especially in the Midwest and Northeast.

The markets identified shared certain characteristics. They had low vacancy rates and strong demand, demonstrating affordability, growth potential, rising rents and sustained buyer demand. These markets also had almost double the page views of the average nationwide, with home prices on average 21.7% lower than the national average.

Rental vacancy rates were similarly lower, averaging 4.8% year to date compared to the national average of 6.6%. "Furthermore, 13.8% of buyers in these markets were investors in Q1 2024, one percentage point below the national average, but up 4.4 percentage points from 2019 levels," the report noted.