I'm seeking a civil engineer in the bay area to review a new construction project and architect to do an as built drawing (San Leandro, CA). 

Probably interacting on BP a lot lately, being an engineer (good at math) and having a decent job

Contact a local architect/engineer for a detailed consultation specific to your project/locale.   

Of course I learned to coordinate with structural engineers, the utilities, and city planning and building departments.

I am a young software engineer and I am intersted in investing my money into rental properties.

Keep in mind that you will need to deal with fixing the floor(s) where the wall once stood and there is a likely a chance you will have to move some electrical and possibly plumbing or HVAC ductwork.Opening a load bearing wall is cool, too, but you have to consider the extra costs associated with getting a structural engineer to report on and spec out what is needed for a beam, paying for the beam, and having it installed.

Remember to reverse engineer what you want to earn.

The huge repair was definitely a red flag that made us worried for the rest of the house, but after the inspection we brought in a few other experts (structural engineer, masonry contractor) who gave us some encouraging assessments.We ended up getting another $5k off and are going to move forward.

Site work is often the most expensive and weather dependent phase of a construction project and its important to have a talented and creative civil engineer as well as a earthwork contractor big enough to handle the scope of work in a timely manor. 

It can go down to 180/ft with extreme value engineering.