New member in the SF Bay Area with duplexes on the mind

[Casey Burns]

Hi There New Bigger Pockets Friends,

My wife and I relocated from Washington, DC to San Francisco a little over a year ago. We sold our condo in DC thinking that we would buy immediately in SF. We then got here, the prices really set in, and we decided to rent until we figured out what we were doing. Neither of us wanted to make a $1m mistake.

We're now considering purchasing a duplex in Berkeley or Oakland that we would owner occupy. This would be our first investment property. Both my parents and my wife's manage several of their own rentals (in Columbus, OH and Long Beach, CA, respectively), so we are not coming into this totally blind. We know enough to know we need to know a lot more before we pull the trigger on a deal.

I've done several rehabs with my dad. My preference would be a property that needs some work but not a total gut. We are not in a rush. We are paying through the nose for a rental in Noe Valley, but we would prefer to find the right deal instead of a fast deal.

I've been reading all the great info on the Bigger Pockets forums and other getting started pages. It feels like a good time to start seeking advice from experts, attending local meet-ups, and start interviewing real estate agents who know the east bay rental market. Does anyone have any suggestions on agents that know the east bay rental market? 

Looking forward to getting to know all of you better!

Cheers,

Casey