Hope Second Street can be helpful when the time comes.

I have a rental down the street that was my primary for a few years, so I am not just someone looking for a quick deal.

We've added natural gs lines where there were none in the building and got assistance from the gas company who paid for all the excavation and street repair to get the gas line to the building. 

This in a neighborhood that is slowly appreciating, some renovated homes mixed in with older homes, but is street by street:Purchase price: $130,00001% rule: meets about 0.88% Down payment 20% and closing costs: $29,493Rate: 6.99% conventional 30 yearMonthly payment PITI: $1009 (was $859 until property taxes increased recently) Current rent $1200 (increased from $1150)Property management fee 10%: $120 (was $115) Net cash flow (if no repairs called in): $71 (was $176)Net rental income most months: $170 (first month rent), $935, $922, $1035 (full month rent minus PM fee) $567, $760, $307, $963, $1035 (full month ), $535, $925, $1035 (full month but now property taxes increased), $585.

Which will make it 4bed 2 bath, and some 4 beds on the same street shave sold for 220k. 

Our logical process:1) Use Neighborhood rankings to narrow down area of city you want to invest in2) Focus on getting to know that Neighborhood(s), so you know the good & bad streets, block-by-block.3) Be patient to acquire properties on good streets that meet your buying criteria.Our rankings are done with a "bell curve" approach.

Here is a recommendation I have for you as you begin to figure out what area you want to invest in.This website is a great reference point for figuring out what each area is like. https://www.areavibes.com/It gives you a total LIVABILITY score for each street and zip code & discusses crime rate, schoolsUse this rating and classification system I have created over time to get an idea of the "Class" for the area - A class B class & so onHere is my rating & classification for each livability score.80 and above A+78/79 A76/77 A-74/75 B+72/73 B70/71 B-68/69 C+66/67 C64/65 C-60/63 D59 and below FBest of luck and let me know if I can help answer any questions! 

I am going to see if I can switch to a local Wisconsin insurance that reflects our local risk level in their premiums.Many of the homes in the Pacific Palisades are 3-5 million, but when you look on Google Street View, most are very modest homes from the 1960s (there are some $20m ultra luxury mansions too), so a lot is the land value, the home replacement value on a 1600sqft may be what - 500k at the most?

Some people who already handle plowing or sidewalk clearing nearby might give a better deal if they live just down the street.

Or how vibrant is the Silicon Valley corporate real estate market?