You get the best of both worlds, and you can reduce your cost of living and sometimes live for free, even with a 7% interest rate.Personally, I don't recommend starting with properties with HOAs since HOAs can restrict your ability to house hack it with different strategies, and they can even restrict your lease from being under one year.Hope this helps!

But I put the odds at 10000 to 1.

This includes restrictions on property use, rental regulations, and any upcoming changes in the area that might affect your investment.Patience Is Truly a Virtue:Real estate investing is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

If you own older or sub-standard properties, the odds of this happening are exponentially higher.

Oddly enough, I actually made an offer 48 hours after the property hit the market and the best I can gather from their agent is that since they own the property outright, they feel that by offering bond for deed they can get their full asking price.

Oddly enough, one of the biggest draws to the areas is CrossFit Mayhem, where Rich Froning is located.

I am building a single family home along with an ADU and a Junior ADU (JADU) in Castro Valley, CA and the county wants to impose a deed restriction which will require owner occupancy of the JADU/Main Dwelling Unit (MDU) per CA - Gov.

Now you are restricting yourself to the "unqualified," for lack of better term, market.Otherwise, yes stay with at least 20% down. 

Because retirement is 10-15 years away, things can change, STR restrictions are always changing, and you may change your mind where you want to retire.

LA has laws restricting it if it isn't a primary residence, no more than 120 days, etc.