Newbie from Bay Area, California

[Meredith L.]

Greetings! Very excited to have just joined the BP community. I'm a 25 year old working in the corporate world (currently in commercial-scale solar energy!) and gearing up to buy my first property. I want to start with a house hack through buying a 3 or 4 unit property and living in one of the units. From there I want to continue investing in multifamily properties to generate solid passive income. Given that the Bay Area (and California in general) is notorious for high housing costs, I'm looking for advice on the best multifamily housing market to break into in-state. Fortunately I work from home 100% of the time and have the ability to live pretty much anywhere in California as long as I'm close (within an hour) to an airport. I'm thinking moving outside the Bay Area will allow me to best break into the market with a good cash flowing property. Does anyone have recommendations for where I should be centering my search? I have $25-30k available for a down payment. Been reading that Fresno/Central Valley area might be my best bet. Would love advice from anyone with REI experience in California!!