I am, as you have correctly surmised, a horrible old man eating of his bitter heart in the desert and liking it.

However, if you are talking California almost anywhere in California this should prove to be a profitable strategy but it also depends, not in the middle of the desert for example or in depressed areas, war zones would also be obviously out as well.

It’s also young — the average resident is just 33 years old.Like much of the area, North Las Vegas is a landscape of contrasts, where pawnshops are as common as manicured golf courses.Squat and basic housing complexes sit just miles from more luxurious homes with grass lawns — a rarity in a community where yards of rock and of desert are the norm.In a fast-moving market, many can’t afford to buy at all.

SW of just west of you in the desert. 

Compared to the midwest and desert SW, then yes.

Down the road when I'm more comfortable I can see myself going out of state, but I don't think I want to for my first experience.If I'm totally honest, I'm probably too risk-averse to make my first property(ies) outside of comfortable driving distance (max 3-4 hours), leading me to look in places like the high desert (Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, etc) or mountain destinations like Lake Arrowhead/Big Bear. 

Top Ramin, spagettios, pasta, cereal, basically eat cheap, no deserts, no soda, alcohol, dinning out, etc... 

I find that out of state investors from desert areas like Nevada, Cali, Texas, etc have no clue how bad the basement foundation walls in an old house like this can be.The good news is that a bad basement can be fixed but the repair cost can vary widely from cheap to multiple tens of thousands of dollars so having the right inspector on your team is critical!

Likes long walks in the desert.

We're in the Portland area (with ties to central Maine and Mount Desert Island/Acadia region).