They live in a semi HCOL area called Torrance (house is in a good zip code 90503).

Having watched many prior co-workers get paid, cash their check at the casino, and promptly deposit it all into a slot machine I can tell you with pretty good certainty that casinos don't have a positive effect on disposable income and good use of the existing income in the area surrounding :)Are there solid local employers OTHER than the casino in a 15-minute drive? 

Applying that to RE investing, most would agree your first FHA loan should be a multi-unit house hack.

Quote from @Jay Hinrichs: Quote from @Chris Mason: Indoor shopping malls as they existed in the 1990s are dying, but retail is not.

Investment Info:

Small multi-family (2-4 units) buy & hold investment.

Purchase price: $165,000

Cash invested: $20,000

I bought a duplex in Racine that needed a lot of cosmetic upgrades. Both uni...

I a new investor  who self-manages my property and need some advice.Currently, when there are plumbing issues, I have a plumbing company come to the house and I have to meet them there.

As you begin you REI journey here is a piece of advicecheck out this website for a great over view of a city https://www.areavibes.com/This website gives you a total livability score and you can see things like crime rate, housing, walking score and more.Best of luck!

@Shane Regnier I've flipped a bunch of houses in Ocala but have yet to dabble in the rental market. 

I currently have a house I am renovating that should be worth around 210k-240k and rent for $1,800 - $2,000 in May.

Seems to be decent on Airbnb with the guest house/ADU units with all the hospitals nearby.