I'd try to stay to the smaller homes somewhere in the range of 1500sqft or less. 

It will likely be in the 7-9% range for an investment property. 

When buying my first property, what price range would you recommend? 

I'm hunting down pre-foreclosures to flip (my backyard is in the $250k-$450k+ range), and then putting that cash in a neighborhood in southern CO with lower property values that cash flow.

You need a massive marketing budget, and you need to double close on the property, meaning you need the actually have the cash to buy the place.Flipping contracts from unknowing sellers to buyers is a shady business, illegal in most states, and has a failure rate in the high 90% range. 

Pickleball is a nice bonus, but a pool will increase property value more significantly and appeal to a broader range of guests. 

I would need to be able to charge at least 1k a month.i think Lawrenceville and Bloomfield is out of my price range.

And it's the job of the investor to make the choice that's best for them.And yes, it's 100% true that many of those aggressive syndications also suffer from lack of sufficient transparency (and I personally find that unacceptable).

We are sandwiched between well known hot spots and its an ideal location for someone who wants to explore the beach life or any of the down-town areas nearby (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Redondo, Manhattan, Southbay Etc), new build with modern amenities, washer/dryer in unit, full sized fridge, dishwasher, professional range cooktop, queen bedroom, full standing shower, large kitchen, full sized couch in the living room, private front patio. 

The meetups are casual and conversational, and attendees range for new and curious to seasoned and advanced.