In additon, prices keep climbing in San Diego.However, the idea that cash flow is not possible for long term hold in San Diego is naive. 

Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment.

Are there lenders that would let me pay them like a traditional mortgage?

Well, I said I'd keep this short, but I teach all of that one on one and obviously a lot more, because it takes that kind of in-depth understanding to sort out when to hold em' and when to fold em'.

My last hold up is that in Pittsburgh i would need to pay real estate transfer tax on the properties.  

Our company, KC Capital Holdings Corp, is the local expert on all things SoFla residential real estate investing.

The difference is that your duplex, you can just hold for 30 years on that nice fixed rate mortgage if the market is soft next year.

Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment.

What is your exit strategy on this deal, wholesaling, buy and hold, rent with option to buy, etc?

As Mark said, if you can be patient and hold out for long-term gains, you will not regret investing in a high appreciation market like Columbus.