Your best opportunity for land banking type deals in LA is to be looking at where the Metro is funding new projects.

how do you wholesale the right way in LA? I

I mean, A LOT.Tenants paid the utilities, and the water bill in LA is ridiculously high, so they watered it minimally.

Despite their best attempts to make it difficult to invest here, I still focus only in or near LA. I

If I decided to invest in LA I would moved there too since I prefer to invest where I live for those reasons you mentioned.

You have to be very careful with tenant selection because AV will burn you quick if you don't You will pour money into the property while a bad tenant destroys it and doesn't pay their rent.A good tenant and a good deal with actually cashflow, as opposed to LA. I

In LA, I have seen them turn around crap into flourishing centers that even the big banks will follow in on the next corner all in a matter of months. 

My printer in LA is significantly cheaper than the prices you mentioned (but that's his agent pricing).

@Ray Lai - I like the suggestion to use google voice numbers that are local to the area I am marketing.

@Ray Lai My mindset going into the Direct mail was to be as targeted as possible as to not waste any time.