I'll definitely avoid downtown and focus my search elsewhere.Getting pre-approved beforehand is a great tip, and I wouldn't have thought about clearly communicating my ideal vs. maximum budget to a realtor.

I grew up going through the Napa valley in the 60s and lived there for 11 years from 90 to 2001.. never did get to the French Laundry. however there are plenty of other great restaurants in the valley of course..

Not discussed enough - even if I don't get great cash flow I'm capturing 15-25% equity at the buy (increasing net worth on paper).

100% financing sounds great when you're entrenched in multiple other deals and projects and funds are tight.

Great point Livia! 

I am a new BP Pro member and have spent the last couple of months in my area looking for great deals - any of the properties worth purchasing just seem to require an extensive amount of work.

It’s great to see your enthusiasm for transitioning into real estate after your impressive military career.

Anaheim is a great location if you can get a short term rental permit

This is a great case study of the challenges of asset protection in single family.

there are prospective tenants who would be great using your property within their own business model, but just make sure you understand the insurance and liability implications of this.