You can gain knowledge to take you out of being a beginner to make that purchase, but yeah, you are priced out of CA to house hack as I said in the other post.

Rochester is great for investment and the prices are decent to get a duplex (4 bed, 2 bath min total).One concern though, when people who are not contractors say they are good at home improvements, they aren't usually as good as they think and their value isn't higher, it's actually lower because of unpermitted renovations or personal cosmetic choices.

Purchase price: $93,000 Cash invested: $24,750 Bought with long term tenant in place.

Most people think that because a buyer goes direct to the Listing broker they can automatically drop the sales price by the buyer broker's commission. 

Keep your budget in mind for quality improvements, check local regulations and manage pricing.

Cash invested: $500,000 Sale price: $1,049,995 Contributors: Jess Haas Remodeled, condoized & sold the existing Victorian duplex to breka even while making a large profit on construction a new DADU / SFH w/ rooftop deck in the backyard.

Cash invested: $500,000 Sale price: $1,049,995 Contributors: Jess Haas Remodeled, condoized & sold the existing Victorian duplex to breakeven while making a large profit on construction a new DADU / SFH w/ rooftop deck in the backyard.

Reinvestment/Expansion (10-20% of Income)Rule of Thumb: Allocate 10-20% of your income towards reinvestment in your business or properties.Why: This fund can be used for purchasing new properties, business expansion, or other growth opportunities, ensuring continued business development.Summary Breakdown:Mortgage Payments: 25-30%Operating Expenses: 30-35%Emergency Fund: 5-10%Capital Expenditures: 10-15%Paying Yourself: 10-15%Reinvestment/Expansion: 10-20%Adjust these percentages based on your specific circumstances, risk tolerance, and business goals.

Purchase price: $315,000 Cash invested: $102,000 Contributors: Jess Haas Rental Type: SFH gut Remodel, with future development potentialCondition @ Purchase: Heavy FixerStrategy: Reno + Hold & develop 1-2 additional units in next few years

I have one coming over this morning for an installation quote, but I'd like to gather a few more quotes to compare pricing.