California real estate

[Hayley Henning]

Hi BP! I'm a newbie here - I'm located in Orange County California and the math just doesn't make sense for rentals to buy and hold on pretty much every property in my area. Is anyone buying in So Cal? And if so, where? If you're not buying in So Cal, where else in California are you buying where the rent to mortgage ratio makes sense? Thanks BP!

[Brendon Woirhaye]

I buy in Southern California.  The total cash returns are not as good as I could get in other markets, but advantages I gain out of owning locally is:

a: self management of the units

b: building basic handyman skills in my children

c: very good understanding of the neighborhoods

My current properties are in Whittier and La Puente.  I focus on older construction where prices may be lower due to deferred maintenance.  

I was in negotiations on a place in Orange (317 n oak), but ended up not proceeding because it was a bit far away and the return was a little lower than I'd like.