First multi-family location Vallejo, Richmond, Sacramento?

[Kevin Crawford]

Hello Bigger Pockets members,

  My wife and I are going to find our first multi-family property to purchase later this year and are still unsure where to set our sites.  We have not been pre approved yet but we will be before we start looking.  We have good credit and have equity in our house so I would assume we would be pre approved for somewhere between 350k-500k.  Not much for the bay area though.  

We live close to Richmond and Vallejo.  I see there are still some reasonable prices for multifamily in those city however that's because so much of them is pretty sketchy.   My wife was suggesting we look around south Sacramento  because she heard there is good growth happening there and the prices are still reasonable.

  I grew up with a construction background and am pretty handy with most things being a professional woodworker so I was planning on getting a fixer upper.  And if that's the case looking closer to me sure beats the driving an hour to and from for months of renovation.  

Any advise with what areas around me you found worked well or seem to be priced well with signs of growth would be appreciated.

Also those with experience with the Sac area, are the prices good enough such that we can get multifamily with little renovation

Thanks,