If you are looking for property in San Diego that is going to have good initial cash flow, you are going to either have to identify an obscure value add or expect to spend a lot of time and effort to find good off market purchase (most off market offers are not great). 

It’s a bit like playing Monopoly but with real addresses and real money.. and when done right, it can feel like unlocking a secret level in the real estate game.But hey, no point pretending it’s all sunshine and roses.

Quote from @Jack Krusinski: When my rental properties are in a situation like this, I make an effort to create a structured and aggressive payment plan to help tenants catch up.

Ok @Sam Epperson, ready for me to literally hand away the "secret sauce"?

Note all these require more effort than traditional LTR.  

It was written before the days of YouTube, so it's not full of the common nonsense where authors sell a course, send you to their website for downloads, or write a follow-up with additional "secrets" they forgot to put in the first book.Long-Distance Real Estate Investing by David Greene was another good one.

While it is possible and can be profitable to invest in small properties out of state, I don't think it's worth your time and effort.

No secret.

It is definitely worth the effort in the long term!

There is not secret sauce, especially on a value-add deal like you're describing.