In this market that's hard to find cash flow, I'd offer to look into a live-in-flip to get your feet wet & a solid understanding of rehab costs. 

With unpermitted base what i found it is even more difficult to evict if they are non paying and worse off all you might need to cough up some massive relocation of $18k in state of CA.

But it sounds also so intriguing, that getting 3 people to cough up 5k JUST to try it sounds reasonable.

House hacking is another excellent strategy, especially for getting your feet wet in the investing world while minimizing living expenses.Your goal to invest in affordable housing is commendable and can be a rewarding niche.

I have a gutted carriage house on the back of my property, so my thought is to get my feet wet with house hacking by creating space for a longterm tenant. 

New roof, new water heater, new Electrical panel, New HVAC, new Concrete driveway, new Concrete steps & walkout basement, Open space of kitchen and living room, fully finished basement with wet bar and new full bathroom, new windows.

Happy to chat anytime, just trying to get my feet wet again after a long break from investing.

@Tony Sherman, yes.Closing delays on buy side with title issuesMaterial delays, which can compound into contractor delays when you try to keep schedules tightContractor delays because prior jobs are not wrapping on timeContractor delays because you need to fire one and hire a new oneScope of work issues, i.e. no signs of moisture intrusion prior to buying, but all of a sudden you have a wet floor after a good hard rain.Closing issues on sale sideHow do you manage?  

Nothing good comes from waiting to repair wet drywall- especially if its on a wall that is holding up cabinets

Ultimately I think that a BRRRR sounds like the route I want to take, but think maybe starting somewhere else could be less risky so I can get my feet wet first.