New investor looking to by my first investment property

[Anthony Phillips]

Hello, my name is Anthony Phillips. I live in the Santa Clarita Valley, about 30 miles north of Los Angeles. I am interested in investing in the Antelope Valley as property is much cheaper there than other areas in Southern California. I am not apposed to invest out of state, but,  as a first time investor, I feel as though it is harder to pick a property without knowing the area--e.g., the good and bad areas of town.  I would like something that turns a decent roi, but would also like to maximize my tax write off. I have done research and ran some numbers on multiple properties but have yet to find a realtor that has experience in investment properties or a property management company to go with. I have listened to a number of the Bigger Pockets podcasts and have heard many people talk about their first deals. While doing my research I have noticed that a common theme for most first-time investors is that your first deal is typically the hardest, but, after the first, the rest come easily. The point of this post is to get some guidance or references from fellow investors. Thank you for taking the time to read my post and look forward to your replies.