The ride had gotten to boring for the radio.

I am a long term buy and hold investor and plan to ride any downturn to the bottom and back up.

From a childhood where my parents moved us every year, fixing up homes and selling for a profit (riding the RE wave of the 70s), I had an early comfort with and trust in real estate.  

If you just have plenty of money to throw around and want to ride the appreciation train, then go for it. 

I believe Hayward is positioned in a fantastic location, just a bridge ride away to high paying Peninsula jobs.  

Develop a relationship with someone you trust and bring them along for the ride.

Some people call me old fashioned, but there is a community of Amish people not too far away.

Not only that, but you need a place to live anyways, you're riding the market up (hopefully) as you are advancing in your career, paying down the mortgage and then when you eventually want to sell its TAX FREE!

The problem for most people is they fail to recognize the opportunities for what they are and therefore miss the ride entirely.I would second @Adam Tafel's point that 2-12 units is a big spread because the loan vehicles you're going to utilize for these assets are drastically different.Consider focusing either on 2-4 units or 5+.

I would caution you that this is speculative and can come back to bite you if there is a downturn in the market, but if you can hang in there you may be able to ride the ups and downs of the market and choose the time to sell when the market is up.Lots of stuff to consider, but there are several people who have served and obtained properties in their duty station while doing so.