The reason is the rent-to-price ratio is good so you can cash flow, and most of the West side doesn’t have a Point of sale inspection which is really annoying.

but big things (bedsheets weren't changed because they "looked" clean but had significant fragrance, etc. and were clearly used once you pulled down the sheets to take a closer look, etc.).The ONE thing I expect a PM to get right- is the cleaning.

So I think it's great to first start closer to home-- especially where you know the markets well!

The upgrade basically put a target on my back with the fire marshall as he came by to inspect the work and found that there were a few compliance issues.

Each require county inspections that extend the permit process.

It's a good time to review markets, but living in China there are a lot of other closer, international markets that could be options as well.

What action can you do now, TODAY, that moves you even 1 single inch closer to your future? 

I quickly chose one of the first 'investor-friendly' agents I found, bought the cheapest duplex on the market, and only interviewed a single property management company.Looking back, I wish I had taken the time to connect with more local investors in the area and leveraged their experiences to help me avoid some costly mistakes.After two years, I sold that underperforming duplex and reinvested closer to home.

The problem is that you don't get an opportunity to do an inspection before you buy.If you buy pre-sale from the owner, you have arrears to bring current, getting the owner to move after you have solved their problem and taken the pressure off, along with the previously listed concerns.

I would hesitate to say 1-2 years to rotate out but closer to 5 years, and ideally I'd try to get the downpayment higher to at least 10%.I understand your areas though-- they're expensive.