Even the LADWP is a pain to deal with and anything electric can linger for months if not years in this cityFor that reason, i would recommend to absolutely avoid any interaction with the city unless you do really heavy work that would have significant impact on the appraisal like maybe adding bedrooms and bathrooms or adding lots of square feetThe current system doesn't reward doing the things by the book; you actually will be way ahead doing things on your own and just comply if you get an order to comply one day (very unlikely anyway).

Wholesaling can be very rewarding but as you probably already know, it is very simple, but not very easy. 

Too much liability for such a small reward its not worth it. 

I rewarded a cool landlord by staying multiple years. 

You mitigate your risks, share the rewards, and learn from each other?

When purchasing at a substantial discount the risk is worth the reward, but now there is no reward, only risk.

For me, it has been challenging but has been the most rewarding opportunity I have ever gotten involved with.

I would imagine it can be both extremely rewarding and at times extremely frustrating (isn't all real estate?).

"High risk does not mean high reward.

Podcasts, webinars, seminars and meet-ups are great for education and inspiration but your 1st deal needs to be simple and rewarding - a home you own.