Yes, you need a team, however you can't just assemble people together and call it a team. 

I have seen out of state people come in and think they are getting a whopper of a deal. 

This is the fork where I'm not sure if I'd be good to get some CRE exp and invest in learning about how to review deals for the next 2-3 years, or focus on generating revenue for investment purposes and watch how things are done as a LP.My personality more aligns with networking, reaching out to people, connecting, navigating difficult situations and finding solutions that work.

I don't think enough people consider this aspect.Selling Stock: Selling part of your portfolio could work, but the 15% capital gains tax might make this an expensive choice unless the stock has underperformed or you’re diversifying away from riskier investments.HELOC: Using a HELOC on an existing property is a flexible and relatively low-cost option.

I still recommend people give it a try and see for themselves.  

While I doubt I'll be investing here (terrified that property taxes and the pension debt will ultimately cripple property values), I'm always interested in meeting new people.

2) You MUST screen these people before renting to them, but you can use FurnishedFinders screening tool3) Otherwise, you can put your choice of screening link in your ad or include in a response template in FF.

I suggest you start out by meeting like minded people and here is a link to a local meetup in the OC: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/1225233-ocre...Good Investing...

Some questions for the people with experience: What are some basic landlord problems I will most likely run into?

If anyone has faced a similar issue with an HOA or has suggestions for next steps, I’d really appreciate your insights.