I am born and bred on the Central Coast. As with any area, the secret is research, research and more research. Not just phone contact but walking the pavement and going in and chatting to an agent. Don’t always believe all that they tell you, but so often I come across properties before they are put in the window or on the net. I also make sure the agents in the area remember me by calling in or chatting on the phone at least weekly. I am always looking for a property to do up and either sell or keep medium term. It has taken time and they are there BUT DO YOUR SUMS CAREFULLY – some areas on the Coast are still going up, others are going down and some not moving at all. There really are bargins around, my search alerts send them to me regularly. I try to aim for the $250k to $300K market. Just look around, broadly at first – they are there. Good luck.