So things like that, you need to combine those market structure gaps with creativity to add/enhance the value.If you approach the problem by having the same "passive" thinking, this is not going to work in bay area, like a software industry, you need to be creative and disturb the market with some bit of innovation here and there.

My husband and I started our journey last year with a house hack and 2 long-term rentals (after an exhaustive review of all options), there’s a lot to consider and ultimately need to ladder up to your short and long term goals, as well as your lifestyle (esp with kiddos). 

Consulting with local experts, real estate professionals, and grant writers can greatly enhance your chances of securing grant funding for your renovation projects.

@Oluwasegun OluwadeleThat is INSANE 😂😂😂 worth it for the SoCal lifestyle though.

Lifestyle doesn't change until you have $3m+ in my opinion. 

REI is also a lifestyle change too in order to be successful. 

Home ownership is a life style decision a liability and a over all drain on financial resources.

To me the decision will be more about the impact to my lifestyle then the cash.

Now you are living a "military-type" lifestyle of moving every 1-2 years --- that's pretty tough.Hard money loans (hml) can be great to pick up distressed properties since there are pretty no limits on how distressed they can be. 

But I am happy where I am, where i can afford to live my lifestyle etc.