Looking into investing into a duplex in Oakland - am I crazy?

[Gulnoza Bobokalonova]

Hello BP! I am finally ready to ask some questions after some time of research. I hope there are people that can help me. 

Situation: my family(me, my hubby and 1.5 yo son) are moving back to California in the begging of January 2022. We want some sunshine in our lives. We temporarily moving to my parents place, but will be actively looking for our first home. I recently came up with an idea to invest into a duplex instead of SFH which could help us pay mortgage. I want to start off with a duplex just to get my feet wet and see what it's like to manage a property. Also I doubt we will qualify for a triplex or fourplex price...

Questions: 

1. Am I crazy to buy a house now in such red hot market? Should I wait? 

2. Is it real to buy a duplex for <1M in Oakland area? 

3. We talked to a loan officer in our local bank and what we qualify for is max $970,000. And he said that if we are getting a duplex and plan to live there we have to pay 15% of downpayment. Is 15% downpayment for duplexes is a usual thing in any banks? Anyone knows a better bank that doesn't require 15% downpayment for duplexes? 

4. Is Oakland a good REI place? Which areas are better for us to look at considering we have a child? My husband really wants to live there - he loves the area since he lived there for a long time, but from all the horror(fake news...?) stories of what is going on there I'm not sure... 

I have many more questions but let's start with these :)

[Brian Garlington]

Contact @Chris Mason   He can probably give you additional perspective. Yes, buying a duplex in Oakland for under $1Million is not only possible, but it is done every week.....we help people do it all the time. I always warn people though to act fast....if a duplex becomes available with a vacant unit, be ready to see it and offer on it fast. A couple of people I started working with were amazed three times in the past two weeks that duplexes became available with a vacant unit and they went pending less than a week after they hot the market....one went pending in only two days.