I'm going to exclude my personal residence from this because I don't view this as an investment, I need a place to live.Excluding my primary residence my current breakdown is 47% real estate 53% stocks/cash. 

You can search this by clicking on the magnifying glass in the upper corner of the screen as it’s asked literally monthly if not weekly. 

If you ask around, you likely know someone in CA investing out of state.If you evaluate a long term rental property from a micro view of let's say the Year 1 return, with interest rates where they are, and using conservative estimates for rent, you'll be hard pressed to find compelling cashflow without going into C or D class areas nationwide. 

It's possible to find great tenants with thorough screening, but also be mindful if you're considering short-term (e.g., AirBnB) as it will expose your property to bad actors.Law enforcement and the legal system seem to operate quite slowly out there.

Interesting view to surface some of the most active housing markets!

But here I sit without my first property still(I've viewed many) So another recent question I have asked myself.

A good manager will handle everything from marketing to maintenance and tenant screening, saving you time and stress.Vendors and LandscapingBuilding a team of dependable vendors—like landscaping companies, contractors, and insurance agents—is critical.

It seems more your fault for choosing the "lying" contractors from the tenants point of view, if you ask them to pay up, I'm sure they would.

Good luck, and feel free to ask if you need more tips on tenant screening!

Which essentially puts some standards in place and a good guideline for handling all things in the company. ie. company mission, telephone standards, tenant screening process, etc.