House hacking is a fantastic way to start, but preparation is key.

As with most PUDs, the developer handed things over to a management company who immediately started a $400/month assessment once the final unit in the development was sold. 

Hi, pre foreclosure in all of its permutations, before the bank sends Notice of Default (NOD) or efter which is state even county dependant but often starts a 4 week clock till the trustee auction are the 2nd most difficult deal scenario and IMHO only experienced investors should bother, the 1st most difficult deal scenario are bidding at the court house steps on lord only knows what is being auctioned off sometimes even 2nd mortgages, you need to do so much home work to attempt to reduce your risk at the court house steps...Pre foreclosure no one talks about these issues, always about the nice sounding stuff like "motivated seller" get a good deal etc etc both are usually not the case.- 95% of folks in pre or post NOD want to stay in their house, keep their house inspite of them 100% will loose the house at the auction. 

That's how my partner and I started out.

Hi Kwanza,Bay Tek (650-204-1512) would be a great starting point, but I’d also recommend reaching out to Adler Builders (650-398-9030) and Mission Home Remodeling (415-855-7269) for comparable bids.In San Francisco, you’ll need a licensed General Contractor (GC) to pull the necessary permits.

Getting started was the most challenging part of real estate investing for me and it seems like you made it look easy.What neighborhood is the property in?

Measure the right stuff - novices start by measuring success based on impressions, CTR etc., Those don't equal business results as Google Ads is ideal for lead generation.

For example, at the start, do you confirm if all persons in the house are aware of your presence, and do you ask if it is OK for you to open bedroom, bathroom and closet doors?

Start small with duplexes or triplexes, analyze deals carefully, and build a team of local experts.

I am about to start a full rehab on a 5 unit brownstone in Bed-Stuy...