(Ask me how I know this.)You'll be priced out of virtually any quality market as you'll need to put anywhere from 25-40% down if you'd like to cash flow in a deal you don't have to significantly rehab (or found off-market) with interest rates where they're at (and don't expect them to go down to 4% anytime this decade either--a 3-4% interest rate is historically low and investors in the 2010s were lucky and spoiled). 

If you’re a California resident, the state will still expect you to pay its annual franchise tax for your LLC, even if the LLC holds properties out of state.

Your scattered approach is going nowhere fast (analysis paralysis) and is highly likely to result in someone taking advantage of you:(Recommend:1) Figuring out what investment approach suits your skills & risk tolerance2) Determining where in the US to apply your chosen approach3) Learning everything you can about that market4) Networking & building contacts & team in the market5) Doing a "test" investment in that market to make sure your expectations are met6) Investing more if your expectations are met.-- If not, go back to step #1 as you many have chosen the wrong approach!

I have only been to a couple in Manhattan, but what I found was that the ones I expected to happen did not happen, and then there were two auctions of properties which I had not seen announced anywhere. 

The expectation should be for higher returns to compensate for the illiquidity, but it's part of the deal. 

If your fee is $150k I would expect a very healthy budget to be spent to marketing and advertising this property all over the place.  

I recently just added her to my credit so she can get a little boost in her score to help more with the process and yes with the low down payment I don't expect to live rent free but one can dream for now all I care about is owning the property cashflow will come later.

ARV of $285k as expected Lessons learned?

You can't expect to get the same results investors were getting in 2018.You can play with the numbers a little, but be careful.

Quote from @Bruce Lynn: Everyone wants to buy a foreclosure until they get to see inside the property.Look at what this guy won at the tax foreclosure option.https://www.13abc.com/2024/02/25/buyer-beware-local-man-buys...It's not always pretty, profitable, and fast flipping like they show on TV and YouTube. i can say this is "way" better than expected.....there're few listed in MLS worse than this.