Cosmetic kitchen and bath work always tends to increase your ARV, but the question is always how much does the ARV increase compared to the cost of the renovations.

That way when you get a bid from two or three contractors, you can make sure you're comparing apples to apples.Good Luck!

Create a simple spreadsheet or written list to compare the features of each and identify the ones that align with your requirements.

If developers do not build additional housing units it is likely we will see rents increase on much older and likely inferior housing compared to what developers would have built.Major Housing Developer Pulls Out Of California

There's literally anything and everything, so to compare it to other good markets for house hacking is difficult due to the fact that other 'good' regions usually come with less job options and therefore in my mind are less secure.

I know there are other financing options, but the question we cannot seem to avoid is whether or not to hold (and rent) or sell the town home.It's tempting to leverage the current equity, move out and rent it - but from what I've read / calculated, it might not be the best return compared to other options.Ideas on how we can get into another home (larger but cheaper) while also (re)starting our REI journey?

What other comparable properties could tenants be renting, and is the building you’re looking at competitive?

They typically do not add value to the house, so when the buyers are looking at comparables, none of them sit there and say...well every other house sold for $200,000, but my gosh this one has solar panels....let's pay $240,000 for this one.Maybe one day, maybe someplace, but NOT today in NJ I expect.Only way I would even look at solar panels is if it is for your forever house, and you have enough land to install them on the ground, not on the roof....so maybe if you have 1-5 acres or more. 

LA didn't have as much of an upswing in home values over the last ten years compared to the other areas but I also don't want to buy at the top of the market (which is San Diego right now, although may be doubtful it decreases - some places up 110%).

No new space was completed during the quarter, compared to 8,000 square feet delivered in Q4 2023.Net absorption was negative in Q1 at -19,000 square feet, reversing the positive trend seen in previous quarters.