Buying real estate may seem difficult now being in your shoes, but buying is actually the easiest part while owning is the hard part.

I have walked in your shoes 3 times in S.

If you step out of a contractor's shoes how would you recommend the homeowner make sure the roof is done properly if a city inspection is not performed?

Smaller guys that may take a look if they need the work could be  Rose Painting or  Precision Striping.

Now I think the answers as to why someone in NJ should invest in Cincinnati would go something like this: -people live there-big companies live there-urban neighborhoods are gentrifying-affordable living -diversity of neighborhoods--some good for flips, some good for consistent appreciation, and there are still plenty of C-D areas that show good returns on paper that people from NY and CA love to gobble up-major airport-major research university-we have Skyline Chili-Pete Rose is from here-Our Roebling Bridge is your Brooklyn Bridge's father-Goetta

Put yourself in the seller's shoes: if they have two offers on the table and one is from an unknown out of state lender (or national, faceless, on-line lender) and the other has closed tons of deals with your agent and is a known quantity, who do you think you'd go with?

If I were in your shoes I would be locating a city outside of Cali.

Put your track shoes on and run.  

@Anthony Bibbins Never Split The Difference, Richest Man in Babylon, As A Man Thinkith, Shoe Dog.These are 4 of my favorites, should keep you busy for a while

I'd kill it and re-asses my entire team if I were in your shoes.