@Cecile Poyet as an investor in anything, stocks bonds, forex, crypto currency, real estate.You will always be too early or too late.

.- Bonds seem like a bad bet as an investment with interest rates seem poised to increase for the forseable future- Cash seems like a poor choice, with inflation currently high and I believe likely to continue- Cryptocurrency is super volatile and while everyone has a great argument for this currency vs the other one, it seems like anybody's guess as to which coins will actually be widely adopted long-term- Gold and commodities, like energy, seem interesting and like they might do well with challenges in the supply chain and inflation looming.  

Appreciation and cash flow are wonderful as a pair.

Pair up with a local realtor, express to them what you want to do and your investment goals and start making offers! 

It’s good way to start out, although it can suck having an HOA for a newbie HOA can be an extra pair of eyes and eliminate some Cap Expenses like roof & maintenance like landscaping while you get your feet wet.Don’t get me wrong I cringed when I got my first assessment and first HOA hike so there’s positives & negatives just keep in mind if the majority of owners in HOA are investors might be hard to get finance and always make sure you are allowed to rent units I’ve read older post of investors buying a condo and not realizing HOA doesn’t allow to rent unit..

Are you investing for cash-flow, equity/wealth building, asset protection/currency hedge, etc.?  

And sometimes it's nice getting a second pair of (disinterested) eyes on things.

Find a local mentor who is doing what your looking to do and pair up with him/her.

I don't know if the attitude is thanks for fixing up a house or get out of here, you are driving up prices.Next to oru house is a pair of condos that just sold for over $300k; down the street is a SFR that just sold for over $300k.15 years ago houses were <$50k in this area.

You can take out an 80% LTV 1st paired with a 5% or 10% 2nd mortgage.