This is a "foot in the door" asset type!   

Most owners are local and therefore “hot” money or out of area players are not yet chasing Pittsburgh assets, keeping prices favorable.References United States Census Bureauhttp://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2017/august/economic-impact-report.htmlMarcus & Millichap 2017 Multifamily Investment Forecast2017 Commercial Real Estate Trends Report by Integra Realty Resourceshttp://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/September-2017/Staying-CMU-All-Eyes-on-Carnegie-Mellons-Future/http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/features/pittsburgh-developments-watch-2017/

It’s structured as a syndication, 60/40 LP/GP split with a 7% preferred return.

I have no particular area that I'd like to start with or focus on, but probably prefer somewhere in the south of the US due to my strong aversion of winter.

They might not be great for cash flow but might be great for long term capital appreciation especially when you use leverage.I’d rather own a $1M asset that breaks even but appreciates consistently by 3% than own a $100k asset that cash flows $3k per year.There’s power in investing in or near your backyard.  

Small upgrades or re-leasing to market rents could boost your cash flow and provide additional funds for your San Diego purchase.If you'd like, I can connect you with a lender or help you explore potential properties in your preferred areas to see what’s realistic within your budget.

For wholesalers: How are you adapting to buyer preferences or creating irresistible deals despite tighter margins?

.), I'd recommend that the residential units fully cash flow the loan as my experience is that mixed use properties are tougher to finance as most lenders tend to prefer one or the other and something in the middle gets more difficult.For example, and granted I don't know anything about the area/neighborhood, I would expect this property (https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/111-NW-Har...) to be easier to finance than the mixed-use property you mentioned. 

I’m not looking to retire early or replace my income through rentals—I just want to diversify our assets.

Everlance is one that I prefer, but that one you have to remember to open up the app and turn it on before each business trip.