up to Lake and mendocino Counties.for central valley I think less crime north of Sacramento compared to stockton and Fresno.Willliams  .. 

Many thanks in advance,Victor Talking with my friends contractors in the area... some of this contractor offered very low price for their projects betting to build many units and market changed and they simply started to file bankruptcy... when comparing cost it's common you will find higher costs ... been in this market last few years, houses will start to move again in the next months in a normal cycle (not pandemic cycle) , if you're goal is getting long term rental in place for delay gratification...

And if that is the case, then I think moving into a duplex would be a good ideaIt looks like you have pretty good income, coming in compared to your expenses, so I would say open up a HELOC on your home in order to access some of the equity that you have in your home.If your home appraises at 360k and you own around 160k then you could likely get a loan for around 130k.

I still think the price to rent ratio is very useful when comparing 2-4 unit properties though. 

Do a compare on Zillow for nearby rentals.

Make a table and compare, as interest rates and years of fixed vs variable rates will be all over the place.  

I just don't see the appreciation upside there compared to other markets that I was considering. 

Cleveland is especially interesting because you can find multifamily properties at lower entry prices compared to other markets.Network locally – While connecting online is great, building relationships with local realtors, property managers, and contractors can really accelerate your success.

The property prices are quite affordable compared to places like Minneapolis, so you might find that your cash flow improves significantly.

Closed sales dropped by 19.5%, while inventory surged by an impressive 77.2% compared to last year.