I used to have this problem …. omg it is so diasteri need to pay 15 20k and then attend court out of state via zoom callman it is so mentally tiringthats reason why I stick to California property only because it is local 

@Patricia Lashley  Typical government mentality saying that unless they explicitly tell you that you can do something then you can't...

@Nathan Brooks I love the mentality! 

I saw it on my phone, making a mental note to look at it once home on a bigger screen.

What we prioritize is 6+ school ratings, safe neighborhood, multifamily with preferably 4 units (we don't care too much about how small each unit is), 1-1.5h commute to the Bay (near Millbrae).Thank you all for your insights and helpful discussions on this forum.

Deep down I would like to say long-term appreciation, but my first initial reaction is prioritizing cash flow. 

That behavior likely won't change so don't renew and continue this mental torment.

One challenge for me, I think, would be the initial cost of a 2-family in NYC, or whether I would be open to going with a property a bit outside of the city to get a lower price.My current strategy that I'm considering came from listening to BiggerPockets Podcast 408: Full-Time Income on a Part-Time Schedule with Emma Powell in which she talks about how her first REI deal was being a hard-money lender using funds from a house sale, and that it was really powerful because she was effectively being paid to be mentored (by the experience lender) With that in mind, I am considering focusing mainly on just selling my current property, and maybe doing a house hack if possible, but prioritizing selling, and being able to use the proceeds toward a lending deal.

But, that doesn't mean I had the correct mindset for investing & managing my own stuff, a bit of mental blockage there.

This is where the team mentality comes in.