Hi guys! I'm a newbie from Los Angeles!

[Jackie Martinez]

Hi guys! I just started getting into real estate lately. I am 35 and I live in Los Angeles, but I'm currently in Atlanta, GA for about 6 more months on a TV project. I work A LOT in TV and film. It sounds cool, but working 12 to 16 hour days is grueling and I want to be able to have the ability to have more free time and I think passive income through real estate could help, though I know that also comes with hard work as well.

I'm going to spend the next 6 months while I'm in Atlanta reading up on as much as I can! I've got the BP books The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to RE, Long Distance RE Investing, and Estimating Rehab Costs, and now Rich Dad Poor Dad, because everyone keeps mentioning it so. I'm halfway through the Beginner Guide Book by Brandon Turner.

When I return to Los Angeles, I plan to take action. 

I just am not sure what should be my first step. In a perfect world, I would love to house hack in LA, but the market is expensive. Should I just do LA anyhow to get an FHA loan as my first property? Then refinance and do out of state as the rest of my properties?

When it comes to out of state investing, I have family in Miami, Orlando, and Peoria, Illinois. I also am familiar with Atlanta and Memphis. What criteria do you use when selecting a market exactly? 

Thank you in advance for your advice!