I don’t recommend buy and holds in California right now.

I have to exchange 215k cash and 118k debt, so I need to either buy two houses at the average price of 220k or one all cash and pay nearly 30% in total California taxes on the debt of 118k.

I am currently a remodeling contractor in California.

California (where I used to live) is one of them (http://www.hsaforamerica.com/state-income-tax.htm).

Before actually visiting the property you might want to check if it is open carry or CCW.

I am currently an active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, living out in Oceanside, CA.

I would invest in other "red" states that are more landlord friendly, as CA is one of the least landlord friendly states so it could take anywhere from 4-6 months to evict a non-paying tenant. 

I have family in the RGV and visit annually. 

I have been reading as many books on real estate investing as I can find in the library, and I've been listening to the Bigger Pockets podcasts on all of my commutes.Investment Goals:I live in the California Bay Area, but I'm looking to invest in St.

Another potential resource to look into is a neighborhood association.When I lived in San Jose, California, I was a member of my local neighborhood association.