Tired landlords and conventional loans weren't available.   

To your point around T-bills, I'm not close to an expert around any of this, but that vehicle ties up the investment until maturity correct?

I recommend a few things:  define what you want to achieve and why investing in the US is the vehicle to achieving that ROI. 

How Ford’s BlueOval City Project Impacts Real Estate: A Setback and Opportunity for InvestorsFord’s massive BlueOval City project, a planned $5.6 billion electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing campus in Stanton, Tennessee, is a game-changer for the region.

The California government will deal with the damage the same way all governments do , they will find a way to raise taxes or get the Feds to pay for it ( that will be difficult with the new administration ) Here is what I find ironic , California has C.A.R.B. to pass regulations on vehicle emissions .

I get tired of people saying, but you have A, B and C. 

The average turnkey rental make about $300/month.From what you said, using real estate as a side vehicle with your good salary and earnings is a good start, as well as investing in core things like index funds.

Is there enough parking for five vehicles?

And virtually all of them had owned rentals and maybe kept a few but were just tired on the TTT but wanted monthly cash flow . so there probably is some of that at play as well Investors that dont want to deal with the PM aspect of owning RE..

Additionally, I've been spending a lot of time evaluating condo / HOA management solutions and accidentally stumbled on ManageCasa, which offers a free trial and < 3 unit free tier that has allowed me the time to get in, kick the tires, and really appreciate their attention to detail and broad feature set that adapts to each unique industry sector.