A plane ticket from CA to just about anywhere is maybe $400.

And I'm pretty sure he got on a plane from California and got there to deal with most of it himself, it was a big enough issue, obviously, that it was worth it to him to be there on the ground dealing with the aftermath himself. 

About Contracts (I like to look at concepts like a funnel - there's a 30,000 foot view of the whole process, then the view gets more narrow as we go down - maybe my take on things will help put the pieces together)....Ever build model cars/boats/planes as a kid?

The market here is about to explode as soon as planes start flying and bringing people back, so it could be a very lucrative time, but it is an investment, so weigh those risks against other things you are considering.

We were planing on doing the same but decided much to rough a city/ area .Good luck 

Going in the other direction - investing locally first can give you a chance to build your experience on all the problems and successes without it being a plane ride away, and then eventually bring that knowledge to other markets if it makes sense.It is important to know the market you are investing in really well, the neighborhoods, the trends, the pros and cons of different locations, which property managers are great, which ones to avoid, the restrictions or problems you'll come up with the local municipality on a rehab - when you are getting started it is much easier to do that in your home market.

Then you must also consider how you get out of the window once you past the plane of the building face.

I’m not planing to spend it all at once.

Seems plane and simple as far as that goes. 

Treat the cost of those plane tickets and coffee dates as an insurance policy.