Newbie in Los Angeles!

[Ami Shah]

I just joined BP last week and have been loving it so far! I haven't owned any properties yet - my background is in conventional mortgages. I want to start with my first buy & hold. I want to stay out of the LA market, but I was thinking of something in the Phoenix area. Any insight on the best way to search for the right property? I've gone through typical sites like Zillow and Realtor, but I feel like there has to be a better way.  Is it worth looking into something that is not a standard sale for the first time?  Any recommendations on resources would be most helpful!