Find your local REIA and start attending and find the Realtors there to build friendships with. 

You could start with your agent or a local agent who supports investors and could have contacts to refer to you.Lastly, you could consider negotiating with a local PM to take on a hybrid approach to management.  

Are you focusing on local investments within LA County, or are you considering opportunities outside the area as well?

I am leaning on local first for my next investment, but not ruling out an out-of-market opportunity. 

These updates made the property highly attractive to tenants.

Being a part of the local REIAs in both towns can help you understand more of what is going on.  

Quote from @Victor Patel: I recently invested $60K with a local hard money lender who has been established in the area for decades.

Costs vary but can range from $1,000 – $3,000 per unit.Water/Sewer: This is more complex and may require approval from your local water authority.

Going to start by checking into local REÍ meetups and talking to some friends and family that are doing what I’d like to.

The best deal I can find today is one that you buy cash, invest a rehab and when you pull out 75% of your ARV you leave maybe a small amount of money in the deal and you break even (BEFORE DISCOUNTING FOR VACANCY, REPAIRS, etc) Yes that means you leave like 10-25k in the deal and your payment becomes $3000/m and your rent is $3000 a month or slightly less.This is for my local market and for Class B or higher RE.