Apartment investing in Oakland or South San Jose

[Minh Doan]

Hi guys,

I'm very excited to join the BP community. I am living in San Francisco Bay Area (California). I just wonder if it is easy to rent out a 2-3-4 plex in Oakland area. There are pros and cons of the area. One of pros is it is next to the San Francisco city which is very expensive to find a rent and the rental demand is very high. One of the cons is that the crime rate is very high in the city.

I also think about investing in a duplex in South San Jose which is a safer plan than the one in Oakland.

As a newbie I would like to listen your guru advice.

Thank you so much.

[Account Closed]

@David Faulkner,

Thanks for the shout out.  

Minh, welcome to Biggerpockets.  You have such a handsome name.  Here are something you need to know if you decide to invest in San Jose.  Duplexes are not subject to rent control.  Triplexes or greater built before September 1979 are subject to rent control.  I suggest whoever invests in San Jose study the rent control ordinance thoroughly.  There are some loopholes in the ordinance, if used properly, can help you outdo your competitions.  

Just look at it like the Internal Revenue Code, which is filled with loopholes.  As long as you're following the laws and doing everything according to the book, you should be home free.  

The same suggestion is applicable with other rent control cities such as Oakland, Berkeley, Hayward, San Francisco, etc.  Read it, absorb it, internalize it.  Don't settle.  Know it and understand it better than your competitions.  

Best of luck.