You will need to vet out a few agents or you can work with reputable wholesalers.

It’s a little more work to set up, but if you get a solid property manager, it’s not as scary as it sounds.If I were you, I’d keep digging into the Capitol region, NJ, and CT—compare the numbers, and maybe even start building connections with agents or wholesalers in those areas.

Caution: you said the magic words "I'm in California" so every out of state real estate agent and probably wholesaler on BP is going to contact you. 

I invest and am an agent/wholesaler out here. 

Would be happy to connect with investors who are interested in working with a VA/Wholesaler.

I don’t have much to add for wholesaling other than to remind you to maintain integrity - too many less scrupulous wholesalers have given the name a bad rap.

Once you have a market chosen I'd connect with a realtor/wholesalers in that market through BP or Facebook groups to get a first hand view from them on how their market is performing.

Cameron Dunlap claims to have studied with Carlton Sheets and claims to be offering transactional funding for wholesale deals.

You could find your local wholesaler ( basically what a land flipper is) and ask about what CRMs they are using and also talk CPAs.  

I wholesale in nashville.