I work full time in STEM and make a low six figures, so I can tolerate some volatility in the rental market. 

Investing in the stock market is generally considered more volatile than other types of investments, such as fixed annuities and corporate bonds.

California offers high property taxes, tenant friendly laws to a fault, ENDLESS regulations and more volatility than anywhere in the country.

Don't focus on short-term equity volatility as home prices can always go up or down. 

That is why I take this subject seriously.Find some target markets, then look to each community to find out why the growth is going on.This is like saying "find a strong stock, and then figure out why it's going up" Wouldn't it be a good idea to learn what factors go into the pricing of that stock before I throw my rationale at it (which BTW is why many people fail at stock investing)Now I know RE is less volatile and easier to predict than stocks, but I still want to approach it as I would any other investment and that is to learn as much as I can before I make any novice decisions with my money.I was holding out for a better reference, but I guess I'll check out a market analysis book that's at my library (copyright 1988!)

A diversified portfolio tends to be less volatile over time.

If the numbers worked for you when you locked in, a rate lock can protect you from market volatility. 

Does your job have significant volatility?

My other concern would be the volatility of the coin or ETF with such a small buying pool.I just listened to an awesome podcast on this topic.

The reason being, extraction businesses in the hemp industry, as well as the cannabis industry, deal with volatile solvents such as butane and ethanol.