“it is VERY hard to screw up when buying i.e. a duplex in good condition in a desirable neighborhood and either self-manages or hire a quality PM to manage.”excellent point 

@Brody TrottStarting a real estate career as a firefighter offers lending advantages and flexibility.

Are their listings detailed with good-quality photos?

Ultimately it was the customer service and poor quality of my post cards that caused me to leave.

Lots and lots of research.Price points also help, block quality, etc.

I have a second condo property where the water quality became unacceptable (PFAS) so I put a filter on the sink and make people aware the fridge water no longer works.

@Ezra Avery you might want to read below to understand Classes of Property/Tenants.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

@Polat Caglayan very ambiguosu question, but read the helpful info below to guide your next set of questions:)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Shooting for three 8 foot logs of high quality.  

Limited labor and resources : Unlike the catastrophic fires in Lahaina Hawaii there are significant resources in Los Angeles to contribute to recover, but quality contractors, tradesman, plumbers, electricians and laborers have long been in short supply.