Great place to start as an investor.  

I have no student loans or debt and I’m looking to start investing in properties.

I told my friend he needs to start the eviction process now.

They could be good source for leads, they should be able to do the site work or refer to someone 'recommended' who can.For bare land- Your short 2month timeframe for permitting (city or county) and utilities is not going to be realistic or even close, most of the time.Your best bet is to find land that has a mobile (demo and scrap it) then replace.

If so start with logging your hours every week.

Hello, I am looking to buy my first property (most likely an investment fourplex), but just left my job to start a grad program.

Growing up in CAN I already had a head start in the rules, markets, etc, so the learning curve wasn't as long.

While I finish school I want to work, at some level, for a brokerage and continue to build the savings and connections needed to start investing in my own properties / making a career in real estate.

Start talking to other lenders, plain and simple... you preapproval does not hold you obligated to anything.

I am sure there are deals to be found in Contra Costa and Alameda however the entry price is daunting in my head and I feel more comfortable getting started with something closer to the 200k and under.