I’m 18 and super interested in real estate.

Make sure to stay on top of things and don't trust too many people (especially the so-called experts). 

@Jacob HavlovickBigger Pockets is a great place to find a real estate tax accountant.A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

It would be a great opportunity to extend out to some real estate professionals.

The consistent population and job growth are driving real estate values along with many companies choosing to move and develop here like Intel, Amazon, Google, Meta, etc.

@Michelle Wang Ever hear: "If you think YOU CAN or You think YOU CAN'T, YOU'RE RIGHT"IMHO I've found this to be true in Real Estate Investing.

You purchased $500K in real estate. 

To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

This comes from a 2017 City document, but it seems to be current.http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/report/oak050966.pdfA real pity, with the severe lack of housing in Oakland. 

You should be going to real estate investor meetups to meet other, more experienced investors, instead of looking at markets farther away before you really know what you are doing.