I attend multiple meetups from Santa Barbara to Thousand Oaks and meet with folks doing all sorts of strategies - House Hack, STR, LTR, Infill Development, Flips etc. 

My wife grew up in Oak Park (near Thousand Oaks).We spent our first year getting our bearings.

I have just purchased a single-family home in Royal Oak, MI, where you can tell she needs a bit of TLC when you take a look at her curb appeal.

  " land is the basis of all Wealth" and the picture was of an Oak tree on a small grass hill ( grass was brown so probably CA. ) with quote.Location Location Location.

Bamboo is a good species, and very hard (harder than oak, IIRC)/ Just get it refinished and move on.

If we are talking about better areas in general-- I'd say Camp logan, heights, piney point, West U, river oaks, and parts of Bellaire are the best.

I live and grew up in Hesperia/ Oak Hills.  

If you're moving there, you're going to want to be in Ardsley Park, or really any area close to the historic district, or thomas square and as far out as probably Live Oak.

North Linden, South of Main, Vassor Village, Woodland Park, MT Vernon, Milo-Grogan, Franklinton, Merrion Village, Hungarian Village, Southern Orchards, Driving Park, Olde Towne East, Franklin Park, King Lincoln, Old Oaks, Livingston Park are all but not limited to some areas in Columbus, Ohio I think will gentrify quickly and make for great long term buy and holds.

New roof, new well, new septic, full gut renovation on two of the three bathrooms, new kitchen (cabinets, appliances, fixtures, counters), new exterior doors, and solid oak floors throughout.