for folks in So cal  I think Vegas is a great choice   1. you can drive there   keep in mind flying to other parts of the country to check on property is going to eat up 1 months rent if you go annually.2.

I have attended local meetups so that I can have a handful of experienced folks who have resources to share.  

All that being said I don't know about if a salt hot tub is better per se, I know it's better for your skin and I'd say perhaps if you're in a very health conscious area like Joshua Tree, some folks might be attracted to the idea of a salt water hot tub.

I have seen a lot of folks that typically BRRRR pivot to flipping for the time being.

Im an investor and agent in Phoenix who's helped a handful of folks with 1031 transactions.

Most are folks that have the emotional control of a 5 year old, controlling attitude, an omniscient narrative in every thread & topic, act like an online hall monitor, and constant attention seeking. 

If these folks owned their own home prior, I would probably take that as them having better credit at that time even without a credit report to support it. 

I live in Colorado and I'm going to see if I can find a direct way to check folks background through the courts.

If you are nearby, if you have ever been a pizza delivery person, maybe deliver a pizza to the wrong house that may or may not be the one being foreclosed on so atleast you can see inside a small portion. we used to just go knock on the door some folks would actually let you look around.

I've worked with several folks in Missouri that have done similar deals with the STL and KC land banks.