The classic blue cities, SF, LA, Seattle, NYC, Boston are all the best deep water ports in America. 

There are similar ones for San Fran that are even worse: ;t= California is just trailing the mid west /  rust belt/ Deep South that has already been through this the amount of vacant commerical in the mid west is just as staggering as what is happening now in CA.. and it was for the same reasons..

My advice: target towns with average prices that fit your budget and then deep-dive into your research from there.Good luck with your search!

I believe right now is an amazing time to get into real estate as there's deep concern and even fear in the marketplace which is just when you want to come in.

When most investors dive into commercial, retail is usually not the first space they begin. 

I find the cap rates for these to be very compressed on the West coast.. and can be very high out in the mid west deep south..

They have strong deep rooted relationships at over a dozen different section 8 agencies accross Michigan.

My question: What's my best angle to dive into RE, given my skills and assets? 

The challenge most investors have, and people in general in all areas, is they get excited about something and dive in head first.  

You’re in the perfect place to dive into real estate investing.