Advice for starting as a small cash buyer in Southern California

[Danielle Hanson]

Has anyone started out as a small-scale (60K-130K) cash buyer in  Southern California? I'm going to start flipping properties within the next few months (looking for the right property now) and I've researched a great deal. However, most of the advice/information I've come across is about getting started and expanding one's portfolio via lots of loans. Has anyone invested independently? If so, do you have any suggestions for a newbie? To be more specific how did you get started and was the development of your portfolio/business different from other investors?  

Advice from non-SoCal investors is also very appreciated!