I would say these area is the classic hotspot that doesn't fluctuate much because of tech economy.however if the O/P wants to invest in silicon valley area....I would say back in the 90s, "most" techie able to afford home in area like mountain view, palo alto.

As for Taxation, an LLC (Limited Liability Company) and an S-Corp are taxed differently and avoid the double-taxation that is a classical drawback of the C-Corp which incurs tax at both the corporate, and shareholder levels (when a dividend is paid out).

If we're gonna do commercials let's pull out the classics!

@Ned Carey  classic look at my post above how the heck did all the gobbly gook get on there only I can do that   !!! 

I actually like those formulas as a quick estimates (see original question) It could be comparable to the the classic 2% rule that is so popular .

For me it was the classic FHA 3.5% for the first one.

It was sad seeing people respond to his classic marketing calls to action....people would sensationally jump up with a handful of cash (probably all they had).Between the plethora of podcasts, blogs, books, etc, there’s no reason to ever sign up for one of these.

@Delmas EdwardsIt is really the same question of should you accept bitcoin, gold, silver, classic car parts, old comic books, baseball cards.

Had you hired a good Property Manager, you could have ended up with more money in your pocket and the manager would have done all the work.Summary lesson: this is a classic tale where everyone thinks it's easy to be a Landlord.

too much rah rah in real estate and the above is a classic example.