Trying to learn more about real estate investing

[Pearl He]

Hi all! My name is Pearl and I'm new to this forum.  I'm so thrilled to see there are so many people that have similar interests and questions as I do.  I am in Southern California, and the housing price has skyrocketed in the past couple 3 years.  It seems to be somewhat steady now.  I just wondered what are all your thoughts on investing in SoCal at the moment, and if there is any suggestion on where to invest, the types of properties, and the method of investment (i.e. renting out, flipping).  Thank you!