Introduction/Various Newbie Questions

[Garmeon Y.]

Hello all,

My name is Garmeon and I'm new to BP and real estate and I've been reading all the articles and listening to the podcasts during my commute. San Francisco native here looking to purchase my first property (multi-family) in the San Jose metropolitan area within the year. Just wanted to start off my first post with several introductory questions:

1) Turning 30 in 2 weeks -- am I late to the game?

2) I'd like to make the Bay Area my target market, but the barrier to entry is quite high. I know it's not necessary to invest in properties that are driving distance; however, my question is assuming positive cash flow is it worth competing for properties with such a high cost per square foot?

3) Assuming enough capital to to put 20-25% down, would it be a better allocation of capital to do FHA or conventional loan (keeping in mind homes are at least around $600-800k, easily more).

4) If you're looking at a rental property and can only drive by, what are some things to look for?

Any beginner tips, advice, or recommendations would be greatly appreciate. Looking forward to being a part of the BP community!