To go from a 1800 sq/ft 3 bedroom "Detached Condo" without a drive way to an 3bedroom "SFR" with a driveway in Irvine is almost cracking the one million price point. 

Strong preference for a broker who can effectively navigate the pro’s/con’s of each program, and the regulations as far as ability to add detached/non-detached additional units and ADU’s.

As I understand it, an SFR on an R2 lot doesn't qualify for two detached ADUs because the use isn't multifamily.

You can probably buy a single family and build a Detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) in backyard.If you have experience and can finance 30–40% of project through a construction loan, you can go big as long as zoning allows, and numbers make sense

My first play is to finish a mother-in-law apartment above our detached garage and list it as a STR.

Think of my presentation as a uniform I put on just for BiggerPockets to express what brought me to this point.These days I don't get sad about the past, I get angry about obstacles or objections to my plans and then savor the feeling of imagining myself crushing through them.

The obstacle is the way.

Here are some ideas based on the obstacles and issues experienced by those making a similar transition:Financing and loan structures, valuation methods, lease structures, property management, market analysis, regulations and zoning, tenant relationships, and so on are all notable differences.Challenges: Due Diligence, Professional Guidance, Market Research, Financial Analysis, Tenant Selection, Property Management Systems, Risk Management, Networking with Other Commercial Investors, etc.Transitioning to commercial real estate can be rewarding, but it requires a different skill set and mindset.

For an ADU where the owner resides in the main house and the detached unit is listed, you might lose your favorable property tax treatment such as for Veterans or Seniors.  

A “duplex” could take many different forms in the dmv, from a not-totally-seperate basement so as not to violate the letter of the law, to an ADU that’s sort of a duplex though not separately metered, to a true two unit multi family home.In Woodbridge at the 350k price point you can buy a detached home and rent out the basement and live upstairs or vice versa, and you can put it a second kitchen under certain circumstances, or house hack with roommates if you’re open to sharing communal space.Prince William County has specific rules on finishing basements: https://www.pwcgov.org/governm...There are also rules about number of unrelated people living in one home, though I don’t think it’s enforced much in Woodbridge if you’re not causing problems:https://www.pwcgov.org/governm...