Hi Ian,I have been studying this concept or years, and have even built a small one....container home that is.

I wish I could just pay a small fee even if it is monthly to see MLS listing.

Now, living in North Carolina, I bought a small single family home as a buy and hold.

Make small achievable goals and hit them out of the park, gain momentum and never look back. 

Value in both sets of doors in city have risen approximately 60% as of today.Based upon my small sample size, rents and appreciation have actually increased at faster rate in my Oakland properties.I agree that the work to get the properties up to market rates is not as easy in Oakland, but it is possible with some effort. 

For someone starting out on their first deal, I don't recommend doing a complete renovation unless you have reliable contractors or have some sort of prior experience.I would of chose a small multi-family property that need very minor repairs (which this type of property ended up being my second purchase).

-Storage units Small closet size or even garages.

It is on 2acres has a barn and a small house on it for 150,000 and is willing to owner finance. 

We have a small group of us that get together once a month.

I have been looking for small multi-family units and just purchased a duplex in NPR with the help of @Brandon M.