House hacking in San Diego

[Kevin Engler]

Hello BP Community- I’m new to Investing and to BP. I’ve been reading and listening to countless podcasts over the past few months and and have determined that my initial plunge into real estate should be via a house-hack. The benefits offered by this strategy can’t be matched for a green investor...or at least that’s what I’m hearing. My problem, like so many others, is with finding a deal in an extremely hot market like San Diego. Does anyone know a good realtor with investor experience in the SD market? Thanks!

[Lee Ripma]

I'm a SoCal investor and I buy out of state. Would be great to house hack but everything I've found I would pay more to house hack then to rent locally. SD is an appreciation market without much cash flow when you buy. However through time you get lots of appreciation and cash flow goes up (unless you bought in 2005). Folks will defend investing in SD and I get why. It's an awesome place to live and appreciation beats cash flow any day. I am more interested now that I have cash flow from my OOS property. 

There is a normal heights triplex that might work, I considered it. 

https://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Diego/4324-33rd-St-9...

Think about Barrio Logan and Logan Heights, those are the neighborhoods that still have room to run, IMHO. 

Where are you thinking in SD? You could house hack something like above, live in the front house and rent out rooms, then rent out the back two units. Still, you are looking at negative cash flow, especially if you use a low down payment loan.