Before that, just knowing market fundamentals and all that jazz are important in getting a decent property.

If the economy is solid perhaps the supply and demand fundamentals come into play strongest.

Hi Dave,From on Charles to another, don't ever base your fundamentals for purchasing on anything having to do with ARV.  

After reading a bit in the forums, the fundamentals seem marginal.

There is fundamental wisdom in the old Kiosaky quote: look at 100 houses, offer on 10, get 3 accepted and buy 1.

Fundamentally, to the extent of my knowledge, the Bay will still thrive and grow for a long time to come.But the question of: "Is the cost of living in the Bay so high compared to the rest of the country (maybe historically, or just the affordability index) that it is now a very attractive option for a ton of people to start moving elsewhere?  

Most of it has nothing at all to do with investing, but it will give a good grounding in real estate fundamentals, contract law and government regulations.Happy holidays!

Jami -- keep in mind that small fluctuations in property values in a fundamentally sound market will not affect you directly unless you sell the property, which could result in a loss. 

Agree with advice given about the criticality of getting in at the right part of the cycle, but would add that it is more about only buying when the fundamental numbers are right; this could happen in a hot market, but is much more likely to happen in a cold one.

Learn to become excellent at the fundamentals: Locating & negotiating great deals, accurately analyzing potential deals, and building key relationships with cash buyers along with other key players that will bring deals your way.