Another question to think about, that might be something an agent can help with is: where are the other people your age and life stage living? 

My wife is a new real estate agent and we are both new investors.

Kevin,My advise is to seek out 2-3 independent Insurance agents (they represent multiple companies) that can write in CA. 

i have had agents ask for this in the past. if it's off market, then everything is really between you and the seller.but post more info if this is not capturing the situation accurately

Zillow and other free sites are great, but I recommend using an RE Investment friendly Agent.

@Trevor ToftPlease don't base this decision on a Zestimate it's very surprising the value only increased around 26% (2020-2024), I do not know your market but do your homework and contact an agent and ideally an appraiser you trust to get a real valuation.  

Additionally, by partnering with CityFHEPS, you become an agent of change, providing much-needed housing solutions and making a positive impact on the community.

@Greg Strunak If you're looking to purchase a condo in the Myrtle Beach market I highly encourage you to align yourself with an investor-friendly agent who is experienced in dealing with oceanfront vacation property. 

I see you want to build a real estate portfolio over the next 10 years and how you get there will determine many factors and you want to have a team of lenders, agents, etc around you that have done this to help.  

Your background is super impressive...agent, investor, and architect...I'd love to connect to see how we might be able to work together!