BiggerPockets also has a calculator to analyze deals, and I highly recommend you start this as soon as possible, even if you are not ready to buy.

It's a balance of cashflow and wealth accumulation.One of the goals is to have tenants pay as much of your cost-of-ownership as possible (loans, taxes, insurance, etc.)In high-cost areas, any Class A or B property you buy will usually negative cashflow for the first 3-5 years, until rents rise enough to cover the negative cashflow + rising taxes & insurance.Investing OOS increases your risks because you may not know the market and you can't check on everything/everyone all the time.If you move forward with your buddies, HIGHLY recommend creating a solid Partnership Agreement!

The house includes high-end upgrades such as custom cabinetry, granite countertops and energy efficient appliances.

If you have any favorite forums or valuable tips that you've found especially helpful, Id love to hear them! 

Quote from @Christopher Johnson: @Scott Trench - FALSE - DECEPTIVE POST - It's sad people resort to this online bullying, invasion of privacy, attacking our staff, and clearly attempts to blackmail us for $. 

Cleveland and Dayton can be great markets for high cash flow and low purchase prices, but you need to be careful when navigating the neighborhoods so you're not buying in a D/F class area where no property managers will manage and where you'll never see any positive cash flow.

The other factor that's relevant for me is that my husband is a high end W-2 wage earner and we could greatly benefit from the potential tax benefits of actively managing the property. 

I am posting here because I am looking for some advice or recommendations from other investors who can recommend a lender that they had a pleasant experience with.

I have to check on codes/laws/regulation, but I know CA is on a high of making thinks convenient to build those at the moment.

It's the same thing when you put your info on sites like Zillow, or Redfin looking for a home.You are only going to get the realtors or lenders who are signed up with the website.