Once you have done your research and decided that investing in property is going to provide you with the best returns it's time to focus seriously on the location of that property and as you won't actually be living there yourself, you should be able to make some pretty neutral and independent decisions about it.

Here's golden rule number one - buy in a growth area. The majority of people who have become rich from property investment did not do it from rental income but from capital growth. This should be your principal concern and the idea is to view rental income as supplementary.

Now this growth area might be in close to the city, say within 10km or it could be in an area with special attractions such as a golf course or near to a popular cafe strip. It could be a lifestyle area such as on the beach. It's also worth keeping an open mind about areas which lie next to already popular ones as they could be the next in line to rise. This effect has been seen time and time again in property trends. Look out also for areas with a particular type of industry which is booming as jobs mean families and the need for housing.

The next thing you should look at is the infrastructure of the area. How well is it serviced by transport such as buses, trains or is there an airport near by? What shopping facilities are in the area and what's there to do in your free time for leisure?

When buying older properties beware that they could be directly competing with newer ones close by with better and more modern facilities. You'll probably be looking for rental income so weigh up the competition you'll have for tenants from other rentals in the area, even ones which are yet to built and are in the planning stages.

I think you get the idea about researching! There's a great wealth of opportunities just waiting out there but you need to be able to sort the good from the bad.