The BRRR is a great strategy, but you will have to search hard to find a distressed duplex that you’re able to force appreciation on in this neck of the woods.

@Olivia Melikian Finding the right agent to work with is important.

Be sure to check out the Pro Exclusives under the "Get Started" menu!

Lost time-  you don’t find this out till your Geometra does his study.     2.  

I'm considering purchasing a condo or a small SFH in the Oceanside/Carlsbad area as an investment property and renting it out on a short term rental site like AirBNB. 

It's a fairly unregulated space (charging grandma $750 to puts around for 3 hours, after moving the old box from the horizontal sensor, which was the only problem with the garage door to begin with), so some combination of carefully reading reviews (you have to actually read them to make sure it's not 200 fake reviews), and maybe not giving them the full contract all at once, is in order. 

Verifying last 2 years of rental history and income extremely important to find the “best of the worst”.Make sure you understand the Class of properties you are looking at and the corresponding results to expect.

In a few years if you want him out you can transition him to another unit.

It is surprisingly easy to manage out of state and if you want more tips on how, check out Bigger Pockets book "30 Day Stay" on Mid Term Rentals. 

Keep experimenting, and you'll find what works best for your market!