Always on the prowl for my next move up home, investments & my eyes have been magnetized by the great buying opportunity in very prime locations for first time buyers. I'm talking about the low end condo in Tiburon under 200k, the townhouse in Napa for under 200K. What a great time to be a first time home buyer. Not only has it become so affordable to live in great areas - interest rates are also at a sweet spot; why would you be a renter? These are not run down shacks I am mentioning. The homes are in the best locations. What a great opportunity to own in areas that many consider to be the best. I know this may sound like a sale pitch; it is not. I just like shedding light on good opporunity for those that could really use it, or at least find it interesting. Does positive cash flow after a conventional purchase sound just awe inspiring? 
Tiburon, CA 94920
Price: $197,507 (Not a misprint)
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 1,505 $/Sq. Ft.:$131
Lot Size: 1,481 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:Residential, Attached, Condominium/Coop/Other
Style:Contemporary
Year Built:1963
Stories:1
View:Hills
Area:Tiburon
County:Marin
Tiburon is an affluent incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere (formerly a separate island) occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon. Tiburon is bordered by Corte Madera to the north and Mill Valley to the west, but is otherwise surrounded by the Bay.
The city's name comes from the Spanish word tiburón, which means "shark." Tiburon was formerly the southern terminus of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. This railroad carried freight, mostly lumber, to the town for transfer to barges for shipping to cities around San Francisco Bay. It is now a commuter and tourist town, linked by fast ferry services to San Francisco and with a concentration of restaurants and clothes shops. It is the nearest mainland point to Angel Island and a regular ferry service connects to the island.
The former railroad right of way now forms part of the San Francisco Bay Trail, used by hikers and cyclists. Within the Tiburon town limits, the rail trail passes through the Richardson Bay Park and next to the Audubon Society's Richardson Bay Sanctuary. These provide excellent opportunities for observing wildlife.
Napa, CA 94558
Price: $199,000 (Not a misprint)
Beds: 1
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 628
$/Sq. Ft.:$317
Lot Size: 436 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:Residential, Attached, Condominium/Coop/Other
Style:A-Frame
Year Built:1991
Stories:1
Area:Napa
County:Napa
Napa Valley is widely considered one of the top American Viticultural Areas in California, and all of the United States, with a history dating back to the early nineteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century there were more than one hundred and forty wineries in the area. Of those original wineries several still exist in the valley today including Charles Krug Winery, Shramsburg, Chateau Montelena and Beringer. Viticulture in Napa suffered a setback when prohibition was enacted across the country in 1920. Furthering the damage was an infestation of the phylloxera root louse which killed many of the vines through the valley. These two events caused many wineries to shut down and stalled the growth of the wine industry in Napa County for years. Following the Second World War, the wine industry in Napa began to thrive again.
Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa
In 1965, Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi broke away from his family's Charles Krug estate to found his own. This was the first new large scale winery to be established in the valley since before prohibition. Following the establishment of the Mondavi estate, the number of wineries in the valley continued to grow, as did the region's reputation.
Chateau Montelena
In addition to large scale wineries, Napa Valley's boutique wineries produce some of the world's best wines. The producers of these wines include but are not limited to: Araujo, Bryant Family, Colgin Cellars, Dalla Valle Maya, Diamond Creek, Dominus Estate, Duckhorn Vineyards, Dunn Howell Mountain, Grace Family, Harlan Estate, Husic, Kistler, Jericho Canyon Vineyards, Marcassin, Screaming Eagle, Shafer Hillside Select, Sine Qua Non, Spencer-Roloson Winery and Vineyard 29.
Today Napa Valley features more than three hundred wineries and grows many different grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and other popular varietals. Napa Valley is visited by as many as five million people each year.
