[quote=FormerSanDiegan]bread-and-butter Central San Diego rental areas:

Clairemont Mesa
Kearny Mesa
Mira Mesa
La Mesa

My rule of thumb is to look at the areas with “Mesa” in their name, and avoid places with the word “Barrio” or “Heights”)[/quote]

The very lowest end of those sfr markets you mention is $350k, how do you make that cash flow? And that $350k house probably needes $50k of work. I do not see that logic at all. $350k house, $2,000 rent? That is a total gamble on apprecation unless you put like 50% down.