Good cash flow usually don’t translate into good appreciation potential, and vice versa. Take your pick!!! Or you can just have a balanced portfolio like I do (with both cash flow properties and appreciable properties…)
Surprisingly my best cash flow properties also had best appreciation. But that could be a gift of the subprime crisis and may not be the norm.
Today’s market lacks good deals. We should all take a 5 year vacation from RE and speculate on bitcoins during the long vacation 
Well definitely if you had bought anything back in 2011 anywhere in the Bay Area it would’ve been both crazy cash flow and appreciation laughing doubly hard to the bank…
You guys are still not enjoying your fruits of labor?
You don’t have to labor your entire life!
You should ask Tim Cook that question…
King County which includes Seattle does online auctions for property tax foreclosures. It’s rarely houses, but there’s a decent amount of land. I was AMAZED how many random pieces of land there are. You’ll see a 10 ft strip that goes between the backyards of a a few houses. For whatever reason, that strip of land isn’t part of their yard. It’s similar to the access road that was bought in SF. I didn’t see any land worth bidding on. The only legitimate lots were at the edges of the county.
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I am having a good property I bought in 2010 for $110k and renting $2150 started this month. (was renting $900 in 2010). The value is $450k now. that’s the best rental I have. bought another one in 2013 for $220k and renting $2350 now. Bought another one for $350k in 2014 and renting for $3250. as you can see, it’s getting expensive. I am hoping to buy something in Pittsburg , Antioch for $250k and rent for $2000/month without much work fixing it up.
I am not into the court auction things as it’s more risky and a lot of preparation and checking.
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To buy something in Pittsburg/Antioch and rent for $2k without much work fixing would require $350k not $250.
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I know, I also think about buying something in $350k in better area. If I am not able to find something good, I might keep putting money in the stock market and forget about it.
Better area you mean Concord? Then it would be $350 for a real fixer and $450 for something fixed up…
Yes, I think might as well for you to keep putting money into the stock market… but stock market is also not cheap! When I put money into the stock market back in 2012 Facebook was only $38 per share… 
The better area in Pittsburb or Antioch such as newer homes. By the way, do you mind if you have any good contractor to recommend? I have a rental home is vacant and need to fix it up. I need lisensed general contractor and reliable one.
5 years payback 
Congrats.
Also not bad. Got 1 for $230k in early 2014, renting out for $1600 
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Maybe your home is smaller, the one I have for $2350 per month was 3 bed and 2 bath and 1300sf in a better Richmond hilltop area. I believe all of my rentals are under market rate. But sometimes is very hard for me to increase more than 10% rent per year unless it’s a lot under market.
BA > Austin
Newer homes in Pittsburg will cost you dearly. $450-500k minimum. Not worth investing into something like that. When you buy in Pittsburg and Antioch, you need to stay cheap. Otherwise might as well be Concord or even Walnut Creek if you’d really want to scale it up.
Does Pittsburg and Antioch having any bad areas such as a lot of crime like East Oakland? Also how likely I can get an Asian tenant due to my English not well enough?
No Asians tenants there. But certainly there are Asian property managers 
Yes… there are areas to avoid in both Pittsburg and Antioch.
Check out Oakley Brentwood and Discovery Bay… All better than Pittsburgh…
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Better meaning more expensive.
Pittsburg is a shithole run by old Mafia… keep a low profile in Pittsburg
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