PLEASE HELP: Buying First Home

[Diana Camacho]

Hi there, I am planning on buying my first home. I live in SoCal and although the interest rates are very low the market here is very competitive. Everything is selling quickly and for a higher price than listed. I would love to get into real estate investing but I am not too sure how to approach it considering the high cost of loving here. 

The areas I am looking for to buy will put me at a 1 hr. commute from work (the closer to LA, the more expensive everything gets).  I am thinking of buying a condo, I can't afford a home without the need of major renovations or having a 1:30+ hrs commute when I go back to work on-site. I know condos are harder to sell and they don't typically give you the best return for your money but it seems like the best option at the moment. 

I plan on buying a condo, living there for a few years, sell or rent, and then buy a home and hopefully an investment property. How should I determine what are the best cities to buy this first property in? I am considering areas in decent cities but there are also nicer/cheaper areas getting farther away that would add 30 min to my commute. How can I determine if enduring a longer commute it's worth it? A lot of the areas closer to LA have been gentrified and the prices have gone up a lot but the cities are still not the nicest. Not sure how to determine if the closer cities I am considering will follow the same pattern. 

I have a good credit score (750+) and I have ~$30K for downpayment and closing costs. What steps and considerations would you all recommend? Is this a good approach or would you suggest I consider something else?

Thanks!