Help the borrowers, which helps the neighborhood, which helps the town, and the country as a whole. 

Second one, in the same neighborhood, I used hard and private money to purchase and will be doing a refi with a local bank shortly. 

I think what you might be looking for is here.http://www.baltimoresustainability.org/projects/gr...has maps at the bottom and 4 specific neighborhoods with more detail halfway down the page.

You couldn't be more right that single family homes in a decent neighborhood are a bit more outside of my price range here in raleigh at the moment.Is there anyway we could meet up for coffee or lunch to chat further.

I've not, but folks around here do it all the time, especially in older neighborhood that tend to have small bungalow style houses. 

I'd love to hear some feedback from those familiar with this market that can speak to the type of neighborhoods they are in.

Don't buy in the roughest neighborhood in the urban core.

I did see Burbank/Del Monte redevelopment plan in San Jose city website, but seems rather vague, i.e develop parks, improve circuilation, beautify neighborhood, etc.

Narrow down the strategy (if rentals, what kind of rentals, which neighborhoods, etc). 3.

As a Southern California investor, keep in mind that properties are expensive in most areas that are desirable - you aren't likely to find the opportunities for properties that meet those "1% rule" or "2% rule" that you'll hear investors in some other states talking about.My personal preference would be to find a nearby property to start learning the ropes with before you go for something more distant, and that would help you draw a circle around your home to allow you to start digging into neighborhoods and getting a feel for prices.