House hack will be great place to start, fourplexes are reasonably priced in San Jose, but keep in mind the rent controls apply to 2+ units. 

Take control of the property.

The greatest counter to fear, are risk controls, which comes from education. 

Any fines or violations you may not get notified of or if the seller to you somehow put leverage on it or the borrower jumping over dollars to save pennies.. real estate is about recorded control. 

Always be in control  (not controlling, there is a difference) in your business and how you do things. 

I'd argue at best one can influence, not control, expenses. 

Self-Management:Pros: Saves money, offers control, and builds tenant relationships.Cons: Time-consuming, stressful, and needs expertise.Hiring a Property Manager:Pros: Saves time, provides professional expertise, and market insights.Cons: Costs money, less control, and finding a good manager can be tough.What about you?

If you have a heated pool it is imperative to have a wifi control on the heater that you can monitor and an excellent pool service company.I do disagree with @Chris Watson about the small drop in fiberglass pools.  

Also, I would have probably gone crazy giving up control and leaving my retirement funds to the whims of corporate CEOs that mainly have their own self interests at heart.

At Partner Driven, we encourage our partners to source deals directly from sellers, ensuring better terms and control.