Newbie from SoCal moving to Bay Area

[Andrea DeBell]

Hi Everyone,

I'm totally new to real estate investment but super excited to learn more about it. I live in San Diego area but I'll be moving with my family to the San Francisco area this summer. I'd like to buy and rent in multi-family units to accumulate wealth and also to increase cash flow.

I've been reading like crazy the info on this site and also ordered many books at the library to help with the learning curve. If you have a great book that has helped you a lot with learning real estate investment, let me know. :)

Also, if anyone has experience with rental properties in the Bay Area, I'd appreciate any tips you might have.

Looking forward to connecting with you all! 

Loving blessings,

Andrea

[John Barnette]

San Francisco Realtor, landlord, and flipper here.  You are entering a very very tough yet very very profitable market if done right and in the long term.  More so with equity appreciation than cash flow. First thing to know is that San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley all have rent control. Way too much to go into here but lots of info online. There are differences between the ordinances of the three cities. And even with that, not all properties are rent controlled. Specifically in SF, nothing built after a specific date (cannot recall exact right now) in 1979 is not rent controlled.  Also applies to use of a building by yourself. Just because you own it does not mean you are able to live in it.  Of course vacant properties or those newer ones not rent controlled are in more demand and demand a higher price.  Or my strategy: a single family home is not rent controlled for the actual lease amount (just other elements), nor is a condo. So I have a couple houses, a couple condos in the city.  And also invest outside of the city north or Berkeley in the community of Richmond.  Would be happy to chat more.  Cheers