Find a property or loan first?

[Hans Christopher Struzyna]

Hi, my name is Hans and I am just starting out in the real estate game. I am located in Oakland, CA and I have a question for any experienced investors out there. 

I am interested in starting out with something between a duplex and four-plex and living in one of the units. Having done some looking around, I have found a few in my area. I went to plug them into the BiggerPockets calculator, but I need to know a bunch of information about the loan, closing costs etc. to do the full analysis. 

Should I start off by speaking with a loan processional to see what I can qualify for/what is out there to better understand all the potential fees and costs associated with loans or should I continue to search for deals and get started that way? If so, can anyone make a recommendation on either loan professionals in the Oakland, CA area?

Any ideas you can give me would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Respectfully,

Hans