Buying my first house and need input...

[Amanda Cadena]

I currently live with my boyfriend at his moms house, but she has recently been driving us insane with all her complaining hahah so we have decided that we want to move out. We have recently become interested in real estate investing and I believe we have more options than just the traditional way of buying a home. We live in the Los Angeles area and we both make enough money to afford a house payment, we just want the best bang for our buck!! 

One of the options we were considering was buying a duplex, living in one house and renting out the other. 

Another thing we have thought about is buying a small home, renting it out and maybe finding a cheap apartment somewhere... 

There are so many different options to consider and I'm sure most people here on BP have come across this situation.

I was wondering of I could get anyone's input and maybe what you have done. 

PLEASE HELP !