Since I need to think about sending my daughter school in a couple of years, I want to start with duplex.

Neighborhoods and schools may be more important than cashflow so your strategy may have some holes.

. - Going further out Brentwood and Oakley have appreciated quite a bit and have pretty good schools- Something with potential to add value: ADU attached to the main house or separately in the backyard in the future to get additional rent.

Begin by assessing the area's overall appeal, including factors like crime rates, school quality, and amenities.

With so little inventory and bid wars , and hundreds of showings of each property to some fake buyer who never intends to buy house, I don't think Erics in this game are in any particular disadvantage compared to "licensed" REAs (licensed is in quotation marks,  since a lot of people seem to put too much significance into obtaining it, as if it was a law degree from Ivy League school).

He is more likely going to go back to school for a master's and/or find a fulfilling career, but we have no idea what that will look like or how much money he will make. 

But generally I think areas that are relatively inexpensive with low(er) crime, decent schools, a diversified job market and steady population growth are the best places to aim for.

I took an online course with Terrie O'Connor Realtors Real Estate School and it was great.

Little things can make a big difference as far has how long a house stays on market: school district, lot size, age of the home, flood zones (avoid) etc. 4.

I do live close by to a school, hospital, grocery store, gas station.