A paintjob, a new roof, an earthquake retrofit....

We inspect apartments, and they are crammed with as many as is possible, more in many cases, with extended families in singles (no bedroom), two families in two bedroom units, etc.The requirement to do earthquake retrofits on 13,000 buildings in LA may spread to other cities. 

@Jorge Ruiz I checked out @Bill Manassero and very impressed with his work, esp in Haiti - way cool!

Hey Stephanie, if you have never done this before, I would strongly urge you to consult a real estate attorney, because from some past dealings, it isn't just the sales agreement that is important, but all the disclaimers pertaining to abestos, earthquake zone, fire zone, landslide zone, visual inspection forms, smoke detectors etc etc, that shields you from liability and needs to be signed by both buyer and sellers.

And we rented one of the Turkish boats with a capitan and crew .. that's a great way to see the area for 3 to 5 days.. water gin clear.. you can see Roman ruins below the water line.. ( sunk in earthquakes)  We like Turkey a lot. 

(after all these years).If you buy it consider:The kitchen ceiling has some issues, but I think I see what looks like pink Panther insulation, so that a plus.The wall paper removal (get a quote on that--or be prepared to spend some time on it getting a good wall finish back.Wood Roof means probably a bigger insurance bill than other types--match the neighborhood is probably best.The leaning tower of tree-sah out front, seems like a possible delete item to me (curb appeal).It's not on a foundation, (crawl space) earthquake strapped (???)

Actually the real best option is to wait for the next big earthquake that comes through and buy right after it...we're overdue anyway...Alternatively, you can go to the outer areas of SF.

And expansive soils are not known etc etc.and as long as you have earthquake straps your good to go

I lived in SF for a year back in 89-90, and was there for the earthquake.

There is a good case to be made for the midwest, as evident by the many posts:- plenty of fresh water, no droughts- no hurricanes, no tornandos in the upper half- no fires or smoke- no danger of rising sea levels- no earth quakes- lower cost of living- lower cost of real estate- landlord friendly- underdog, the midwest is better then the reputation it got in the 1970s and 1980sMy portfolio is in Milwaukee and I feel I got lucky.