I have a plan to: a) Rehab my primary residence in Orange Countyb) Purchase a fixer-upper and have it rehabbed (relocation to either LA or Inland Empire).  

I understand its crucial...but this firm would not allow me to work with sellers.....do open houses.....nor create listings..I just don't know if that is the norm.I understand the prospecting part and its importance.

I would suggest that you check out some local Meetups here in Orange County.

For the out of state investing, what crucial strategies would you recommend?

I live in the Ann Arbor area and am comfortable with both the Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County and north Orange County areas.

If you have rentals in Hamden, West Haven, Orange, Milford, east haven, new haven, Fairfield county, Bridgeport, Wallingford, north haven, Hartford please comment.Thank you!

Comparing a single family to a four unit is apples to oranges.

Definitely quality answers from reputable people, but the one thing that wasn’t mentioned and I think is crucial with regard to aspect of time, is sourcing assets.

Yes that's correct assuming you bought them at the right price where you were able to get all your cash back out.As far as the future goes you would have a mortgage on each house after you do the cash out refinance.It's crucial to make sure you know what that payment will be in advance to factor it in to your deal analysis.

Although I haven't done any rentals yet, I would agree that tenant selection is probably the most crucial step here.