New LA Based Investor — Interested In Buy and Hold Multi Families

Brad SeidBusiness Member

Lender · Licensed in 28 States · Member since 2026 · 161 posts · 46 votes

1mo

Welcome to BiggerPockets, David! Starting early is a huge advantage. LA can be challenging, but the right financing strategy can make a big difference when you find the right property.

If you’re looking at house hacking or multifamily investing, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to help you explore your lending options as you prepare for your first deal. Best of luck! 🏠

[email protected]248-408-3855

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Arman AhmedPro Member

Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 939 votes

1mo

Quote from @David Miller II:

Hi my name is David, it’s a pleasure to meet you guys!

I'm new to the BiggerPockets forum, been listening to the podcast for a couple weeks as well as reading up on REI for a couple months.

I’m a 25yr old who’s looking to invest in my in first property in a year and would love to connect with anyone based out here in Los Angeles with experience in house hacking multi family properties and buy n hold multi family properties/apartments. From what I’ve read so far the LA market isn’t too great as a whole so if anyone has any systems that helped get started out here that would be much appreciated.

In terms of what I can provide it’s not much in the experience department, I’m as green as green can be, but I’m timely, motivated, detail oriented, and enjoy getting to know people from all backgrounds.

Looking forward to connecting with everyone!

Thank you

Welcome, David! At 25, you’ve got one huge advantage: time. I wouldn’t feel pressured to force your first deal in LA if the numbers don’t work. Learn to underwrite deals, build relationships, and don’t be afraid to look outside California. Midwest markets can give you a much lower entry point and better cash flow potential, while still letting you build a buy-and-hold portfolio remotely. Get really good at analyzing one type of deal first, and the opportunities will start making a lot more sense.

[email protected]614-418-6081

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Jordan Mendler

Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2022 · 15 posts · 9 votes

1mo

I'm based in LA and it's a tough market. You have rent control, tenant's rights, low cap rates, high property values, etc. do you have capital to get your first deal done? Feel free to DM me.

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David Miller II
OP
Reseda, Los Angeles County · Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 2 votes
1mo
Quote from @Jordan Mendler:

I'm based in LA and it's a tough market. You have rent control, tenant's rights, low cap rates, high property values, etc. do you have capital to get your first deal done? Feel free to DM me.
Wow, thank you for your insight. I'm not positioned to make any deals yet, I wanna spend this next year understanding the market, cash flow, and buyer financing but when I'm ready I'll be sure to keep you in mind.
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David Miller II

OP

Reseda, Los Angeles County · Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 2 votes

1mo

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Dan HandfordPro Member

Investor · Lexington, SC · Member since 2018 · 779 posts · 501 votes

1mo

David, welcome. LA is difficult when you judge a property only on day-one cash flow, so I would spend this year building a very specific buy box before chasing listings. For a house hack, compare two-to-four-unit properties by your true monthly housing cost after realistic vacancy, repairs, utilities, and reserves. Also model what happens when you move out and the property must stand on its own. The discipline you build now matters more than forcing a first deal. Which LA neighborhoods or nearby markets are you currently studying?

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David Miller II
OP
Reseda, Los Angeles County · Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 2 votes
1mo
@Dan Handford Thanks for the insight Dan! The markets I'm studying currently are in the San Fernando Valley.
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Michael Eskenasy

Investor · Pacific Northwest · Member since 2026 · 538 posts · 307 votes

1mo

At 25, with a year before you plan to buy, I wouldn’t spend that year trying to decide whether “LA is a good market.”

I’d spend it learning exactly what kind of LA deal would make sense for you.

House hacking changes the math because you’re not just buying an investment. You’re replacing part of your own housing expense with rental income. A duplex that looks mediocre as a pure rental can still be a very strong first purchase if the other unit materially reduces what you would otherwise be paying to live in Los Angeles.

I’d start pulling real 2–4 unit properties now and underwrite them every week. Don’t worry about buying yet. Track purchase price, realistic rents, taxes, insurance, utilities, vacancy, repairs, financing, and what your actual monthly housing cost would be while you occupy one unit. Then run the same property again as though you moved out and rented the whole thing.

After 50 or 100 properties, you’ll start seeing the market differently. You’ll know which neighborhoods consistently get close to working, which property configurations are useful, how much rents really support, and where sellers are asking prices that simply don’t make sense.

I’d also use this year to understand the operational side of owning in LA. With multifamily, tenant protections, existing leases, unit legality, deferred maintenance, and the condition of older buildings can matter just as much as the purchase price. A “cheap” building with the wrong tenant or physical situation can be much more expensive than it looks.

And I wouldn’t rush out of California just because another market shows better cash flow on a spreadsheet. Your first property has an educational return too. Being able to drive to the building, meet contractors, understand the neighborhoods, watch leasing activity, and learn what actually happens after closing can be extremely valuable on deal #1.

The goal for the next year isn’t to become an expert in all of real estate.

Get extremely good at underwriting one specific kind of property in a small number of neighborhoods. If you do that every week for a year, you’ll be in a completely different position when you’re actually ready to buy.

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David Miller II
OP
Reseda, Los Angeles County · Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 2 votes
1mo
@Michael Eskenasy Thanks for the insight! I'll be sure to put your actionable steps to use.
0 Reply

Wale LawalBusiness Member

Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes

1mo

@David Miller II

Welcome to BP! It won't be easy doing business in LA, but if you concentrate your attention on your buy box and have an ability to see what other people cannot, you will make deals. You just need to spend a year to understand your deals and establish relationships with agents and lenders.

Good luck!

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Marquise Jackson

Wholesaler · Member since 2026 · 13 posts · 1 vote

6d

Welcome, David. The LA/IE market has several distinct submarkets, so starting with a focused area and clear underwriting criteria can help. I’m also studying local multifamily opportunities and would be glad to compare notes.

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Diana KhanPro Member

Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 483 posts · 177 votes

2d

Quote from @David Miller II:

Hi my name is David, it’s a pleasure to meet you guys!

I'm new to the BiggerPockets forum, been listening to the podcast for a couple weeks as well as reading up on REI for a couple months.

I’m a 25yr old who’s looking to invest in my in first property in a year and would love to connect with anyone based out here in Los Angeles with experience in house hacking multi family properties and buy n hold multi family properties/apartments. From what I’ve read so far the LA market isn’t too great as a whole so if anyone has any systems that helped get started out here that would be much appreciated.

In terms of what I can provide it’s not much in the experience department, I’m as green as green can be, but I’m timely, motivated, detail oriented, and enjoy getting to know people from all backgrounds.

Looking forward to connecting with everyone!

Thank you

@David Miller II, I like that you’re giving yourself a year to learn instead of feeling like you need to buy something right away. Since you’re interested in multifamily, I’d use some of that time to learn how to look at the legal side of a property too, especially when there are already tenants in place. The numbers may look good, but you also want to understand what you would actually be taking over as the new owner.

I’m a real estate attorney, broker, and investor, and I’ve worked with buyers where existing leases, tenant records, title, or questions about how a property was being used became just as important as the purchase price. Those things are much easier to understand before closing than after you become the owner. Since you’re in California, I’d also make sure you have local professionals helping you understand the rules that apply to the specific property.

I think you’re approaching this the right way, @David Miller II. You have time to learn what a good deal looks like before you actually need to make an offer, and the legal side of investment properties is a big part of my work. Happy to stay connected as you work toward your first purchase.

[email protected]240-266-0291

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Alev Sharma

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County · Member since 2026 · 17 posts · 2 votes

2d

Welcome David. Since you mentioned you're studying the San Fernando Valley, a few Valley-specific things worth learning this year that the spreadsheet won't tell you:

- Unit legality. A lot of Valley "duplexes" and "triplexes" are really a house plus an unpermitted garage conversion. Pull the permit history and certificate of occupancy before you count that rent. Lenders and appraisers will often only credit legal units.

- Building age. Whether a property was built before or after late 1978 changes which local rules apply to it in the City of LA, so know the year built and check the rules for that specific address before you underwrite rent growth.

- ADU upside. Some of the best house-hack math in the Valley comes from a 1-2 unit property on a decent-size lot where you can add a permitted ADU later. Learn what your target lots allow before you buy, not after.

- Financing. If you plan to live there, look into how owner-occupied loans treat 2-4 units, including the self-sufficiency test that applies to 3-4 unit purchases with FHA. It knocks out a lot of fourplexes that look fine on paper.

- Condition. Older Valley buildings often have galvanized plumbing, original sewer laterals and dated electrical panels. A sewer scope and a good inspector are cheap compared to finding out after close.

If you underwrite a couple of Valley 2-4 unit listings every week with those items in mind, you'll be ready to move quickly when the right one shows up. Good luck!

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New LA Based Investor — Interested In Buy and Hold Multi Families

New LA Based Investor — Interested In Buy and Hold Multi Families

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