I’m considering it more and more but I feel I should stick with the area I’m familiar with and play it safe for my first rental.

Probably also safe to assume it wasn’t investors bidding it up and most buyers aren’t investors and the buyers willing to pay the most aren’t investors.

Hey @Carlos Ptriawan you wanna chime in on how "safe" those at these $10k, $15k, whatever incomes are?

With that income, is it safe to assume that the property is in Seattle? 

Slow and steady and safe is the best way to invest. 

This will also ecourage you to buy in a neighborhood you feel relatively safe in - which means better tenants.

A construction zone is not really safe for newborns, infants, or toddlers.

Dublin, CA is a pretty safe city overall, but the buildings within walking distance of BART experience very high crime. 

The safe rule of thumb here is to treat your new property as an investment for at least 24 months before moving in, AND making sure to rent out the new property for at least 14 days per year while it's an investment. 

I know that we're not choosing the "safe" route, but I know that if my mom doesn't replace her income and tries to go back to her job she will have a second stroke within a few years, and the consequences of that will be permanent and life altering, if it doesn't kill her.