Some border on harmful. 

That is a gamble and it should not play a factor in your purchase.  

I have been interested bordering on obsessive on investing in real estate since I was in high school.

I believe all cities bordering San Francisco will hold value and has a decent chance of appreciation.

I don't see the cash being taxed everywhere matching the appreciation --- which is a gamble, but real estate investing is speculation, or at least has been since colonial days in this country/region. 

I lived in Rockford for 15 years and have a couple of friends doing quite well there with both single-family and small multi units.We personally moved partially because of the policies and taxes of Illinois.Another idea for you though, if I still lived there, I would probably be looking for rentals right across the border in Wisconsin as well.

(Cashflow from other investments make this possible) They invest following the macro and micro trends and don’t gamble on gimmicks such as guessing where Amazon’s next HQ is going or where the hurricanes just crushed a market.

We were initially interested but realized there might be more tax complications across border so we have passed the opportunity. 

I definitely got something very nasty but I think I got it when kayaking up on the Macal River way up in the mountainous jungle along the Guatemala border where the mosquitoes were ferocious.

Probably same between Austin and SA and Austin and Houston....maybe a bit less between Houston and DFW.I also feel like north of DFW from I35 to 75 north of 380 to the border just seems very very ripe for growth.