Newbie Introduction - Chico/Sacramento area

[Jennifer Rieke]

Hello BiggerPockets Community! My name is Jennifer and I have been following along with the BiggerPockets Podcast for months, studying up and getting excited about making my first deal! Now, I'm reaching out to all of you for help and market-specific information.

I am looking to invest in the Chico or Sacramento area. Ideally, I'd like to do a house-hacking deal. Any input or advice for these markets would be much appreciated - also would love to connect with potential partners in these areas.

A little bit about me...I am currently based in Santa Cruz, CA and work as a substitute teacher. I have been working seasonally as a biologist/substitute teacher for several years and therefore have a somewhat inconsistent employment history (I'm wondering how this will affect my chances of getting a loan?), however, I do have a significant amount of cash saved (about $35,000). Most of this was from an insurance settlement. I am hoping to secure a higher-paying, more permanent job in the chico/sac area before making the plunge to invest, but I am also very excited about getting started and want to make my first deal ASAP. 

I've been watching the housing market in chico for over a year (I started paying attention a few months before the Paradise fire), and believe it could be a good place to get started. However, I've read a few posts on this forum that say Chico is a hard place to cash flow, which is ultimately what I'm looking for (especially after house-hacking for a year). Does anyone have any input on this matter?

Thanks in advance for your help! :)