Don't spend time looking for something that doesn't exist. also in the US you cannot sue the police.. unless its a direct assault on your person. your wasting your time.. 

As a neighbor, personally I don't care if someone smoke a little weed every now and then, but if they are smoking non stop 25 times a day, you might lose a good tenant over that. 

Personally I never listen to what the seller states the income is as they are sometimes way off.

The lower barrier to entry would be excellent for my personally smaller net worth.

When you say "we," are you speaking about your business or your personal tax returns, or does your business flow into your personal returns because you file as a sole proprietor?  

I was wondering if there are any recommend in-person meetups in the LA area.

I personally recommend checking Columbus OH - lots of job growth, population growth, and major companies moving and developing here.

Owner financing and HELOC on personal residence How did you add value to the deal?

This might give a one-time (non-scalable) boost to cash flow, offer multiple value-add options, and allow the house-hacker peace of mind, via the assumed mortgage, in long-term breakeven or positive cash flow in the event that the value-add plans end up not being executed, and/or the person has to move out, and rent by the room or STR become unavailable for some reason at a future date.

I am not sure what type of real estate investing you're considering, but it sounds like, with your family and busy job, you won't have a lot of time to be hands-on or personally involved.