Southern California to Florida?

[Chris Adams]

Hello BP, Since I first got interested in real estate investing, I have been fascinated by the idea of buying a triplex and living in one unit, paying the mortgage down with rents from the other two. Shortly after, Brandon termed this "house hacking." I've always known that when I finally did buy a multi family property, I wanted to live in and self manage in order to learn how things should be done before I delegate to anyone else. Having lived in Southern California as a poker dealer the past 5 years, this idea hasn't been a realistic one due to primarily tip based income (not much reported) and an extremely expensive market that is extremely tough to find cash flowing properties in. A couple months ago, after giving it much thought, I realized that there is nothing keeping me here. I am not married, no kids, and frankly the idea of changing scenery always excites me. After some research, I realized I could get a job at a number of casinos in Florida, where property can be had for much cheaper than here, while rents can still make them cash flow. The areas I am honing in on are Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, and Fort Meyers, as they are all near casinos/tracks. I am hoping that anyone actively investing in these areas could give me their 2 cents. Or maybe someone out there has made this same move for these same reasons. I would love to hear from investors and agents/brokers alike, if anyone has input on where the best mf market would be from these areas. I will be taking a trip there in the next couple of months, and would love to connect with some people before hand. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing from you! -Chris Adams