If you lived in the property for 2 out of the last five years then you wouldn’t pay capital gains up to a certain amount.

It's probably the best way to get started and learn what it's like to own properties while gaining equity and limiting your living expenses.

Your development deal will look much like a flip in the eyes of the IRS since it is 6-9 months as well you'll have the short-term side of taxes, not the capital gains taxing on it.  

So adding one more unit to a duplex may deplete equity gain even if it improves cash flow over here. 

The losses just pass into future years that will eventually offset future gains.

I was merely browsing Amazon and saw quite a few that grabbed my attention.

Starting small through house hacking, long-term rentals, or flipping helped me gain experience without taking on too much risk.

Over the last 10 years CA has the 2nd largest population gain of all states. 

I would echo what others have said - 100% start locally because you need to gain an appreciation for what it means to be an investor, understand the lifecycle of a deal and be on the ground to observe what's going on with renovations etc.

@Bao Vu The purchase price and related expenses from 2023 should be included in the cost basis for the flip sold in 2024, reducing your taxable gain.