New member from San Francisco looking to invest out-of-state

[Aaron Hurst]

Hello BiggerPockets!  I'm completely new to real estate ownership and investing but am looking to gather some information to jump into some out-of-state buy-and-hold multifamily properties.  

I'm based in San Francisco, where the barrier to entry is a bit high (... to owning a home, let alone an income property).  My primary goal is to diversify my investment portfolio, while continuing to work my day job as a software engineer.

I'm currently focused on a few PA markets such as Lebanon, Lancaster, and Pittsburgh, where the numbers look more favorable and where I grew up and went to school.  

I hope to clarify some aspects to the investing and transaction processes that are still unclear to me.  This forum has been a great help already.  Thanks!