New to RE - excited, motivated and full of questions

[Jhana Cayton]

Hi All, I'm Jhana, 31, and recently moved back to the Bay Area after 9 years in Colorado and a year developing a social enterprise in Nepal. This is a 'passion project' which will hopefully be profitable in the next two years. That being said, I've been very interested in real estate for the past couple years and now I'm jumping in with two feet in hope of diversifying out of the stock market, supplementing my income with some cash flow properties and eventually being financially free! I recently discovered BP and I've obsessively been listening to the podcasts and have just started working through the UBG. Thanks to Brandon, Josh and rest of the BP team and guests for the invaluable resources!!

I plan on enrolling in some real estate courses soon to earn my license, with the primary goal of becoming an investor, not necessarily an agent or broker. My hesitation is that I'm not 100% sure I'll be in California for the long term. Yes, my family is here and I'd like to be close to them, however, I miss the mountains and I have a great network in Colorado and Oregon. So my question for the community is, how important is it that I get my license in the state where I plan to reside for the next 5-10 years? I would additionally love any insights and opinions about barriers to entry as a newbie in each of the three markets I've mentioned. 

My primary strategy as an investor will be BRRR with a focus on multi-family properties and some potential flips to get going.

Thanks in advance! I look forward to immersing myself more fully in the community and meeting members in the area! 

Cheers,

Jhana