@Hsin-I Hsu  It depends on your long term goals, risk tolerance and earning potential.A couple of bay area sayings:   Any time you can afford to buy real estate you should.  

The records show the house last sold in Sept, 24 for 382K and was listed in Oct 24 for 416K and reduced to 406K in November.

And Chula Vista or Escondido are great areas for first-timers who want to stay near SD but reduce entry costs.Network at local meetups like “Beers and Deals” - The connections you’ll make there can open up off-market opportunities.Where did you end up starting starting - SD, or did you end up in nearby markets to get your first win?

One slick trick that I've used on reducing the mortgage tax is, I'll see if I can get the sellers bank to assign the current debt to my bank and consolidate it with the new debt I'm putting on the property. 

For reference I own exactly one handful (5) SFH  rentals in my hometown, all have been purchased in the last 4 years.1) buying at a discount is MY preferred way to reduce risk.

My PMLs are people with self-directed IRA who are perfectly fine with 5-year term while earning double-digit returns passively tax-free in their SDIRA. 

For example, we might arrange a shorter penalty period or reduced fees if you expect to exit the property within a specific timeframe.Ultimately, the key is aligning your financing terms with your exit strategy.

More and more investors are looking to assume low-interest loans rather than deal with reduced cashflow thanks to today's interest rates. 

Great if you want to add rentals or non owner occupied properties to your portfolio but not so great if you wanted that winter log home in big bear CA or Mammoth lakes, CA.The good news is you're from TN so you have no earned income tax from the state on wages only interest and dividends in certain cases so thats a pro right?

or ways to reduce our expenses on mortgage every month. we both make about $105k each yearly. but with us planning to have kids in the future, she may stop working.Any advise is appreciated THANK YOU!!!