You ought to attend the Valley Commercial Real Estate Awards on April 25, 6pm @ Orchard Conference Center in Northridge.

Do you have any interest in attending local RE meetups?

I just attended a 3 day workshop put on by Phill and Shenoah.

Instead, my recommendations would be to not only visit the places you've already mentioned but perhaps also attend a few local real estate meetups in those areas to get a really good sense of what's out there in terms of the lay of the land.BP is great for connecting you with local brokers/investors in the areas btw, simply hop into any of the local forums and create a post that you're looking to chat with someone! 

Study up on legal issues, property management, market research, property analysis, and finance possibilities.Participate in online forums like BiggerPockets, attend meetups, join local investing clubs, and establish online and offline connections with other real estate investors.

@Sunny ChenThe best way to find mentors in your area is to attend local meetups.

You can attend local RE meetups in your area.

REI Central meetups in CHS would be a good place to start if you don't already attend.

I attempted to file a small claims case but the local property management address was unservable and I would have needed to travel all the way to arizona to attend court.

If I'm in your shoes, I recommend chatting with some local investors (attend a few meetups) to get a good sense of whats possible and not based on others that have a similar W2 scenario as yours.