Especially around that campus there was a lot of homes that needed love and would be great to hold as a long term rental.

Have you tried E-homes of Bakersfield.

@Damein White Positing in the classifieds section of BiggerPockets, looking at the events & meetups page of BiggerPockets, and checking out Meetup.com can be great ways to find and network with local investors

When I ran numbers a few years ago for a higher end condo vs newer, but starter home, the purchase price for the house was a bit more ($40K), but I could rent the house for more and payments were similar once I added in the condo fees...I went with the house.

Much safer bet would be to buy an existing home with a view in a nice neighborhood.

I recently use to be a Pro member but had to put my membership on hold after buying my first home a month ago.

We purchased the home on 1/12/2023 for $295,000, invested $10,000 in renovations, and sold it for $400,000 on 5/17/2023.

I have lots of general experience having owned several family homes over the past few years but no specific property investment experience.

Originally built in 1940, this 2-bedroom home with over 9' ceilings will shine once again.

Purchase price: $168,000 Cash invested: $40,000 Sale price: $299,000 What started out as a family friend needing out of their home due to financial hardship turned into an incredible project for us.