Have you considered going outside of CA? 

I have heard that CA is very competitive and very difficult to find deals in.

If the client is in CA the community property state laws may help here (not entirely sure) depending on when the property was acquired but it would be a great question for an attorney as Jason mentioned.If they were married and went through a divorce it would be worth looking into how the divorce paperwork stated how that property would be handled.

To me a house hack will most likely work in Tulsa - I haven't done any research on that area, but as far as I know it's not a crazy market like places in California etc.Also read a lot, get some books from your local library or purchase some online.

Buyer go to open house directly.We have this option in Minnesota now, and it looks like in 10 other states that I am aware of (California, Texas, Florida, Virginia, mostly the big population states).

Try Note Servicing Center out of California or FCI.

Out-of-state investing makes the most sense for me—it’s impossible to cash flow anywhere near me, and moving wouldn’t make sense because I wouldn’t be able to earn the same wages or find the same kind of jobs.Before this purchase, I already owned two properties: a long-term rental outside Houston, Texas, and a short-term rental in the Sierras in California.

Having developed a majority of my career in CA the regulations and red tape for construction and development are intense. 

Also CA requires you to be licensed to originate DSCR and Hard Money Loans (I see on your bio you service CA), and there are many other states that are starting to follow pursuit.

Hey John,I own 12 units in Detroit but currently live in California.