Instead of discussing the possibility of owner finance with sellers - what if I offered the opportunity to  JV where they are the equity partner?   

Without the high leverage you reduce the top source of return in CA RE which is achieve via the appreciation on a high leverage property.  

Because there are nuances to seller financing, a lot of space would need to be devoted to covering the subject to make sense, and that requires sitting down to a cup of coffee for a long discussion.

I usually use a RE agent for sales, but I'm not sure how to pick one. 

However, anything that impacts functionality like plumbing, HVAC, or safety issues should be handled before listing to avoid turning off potential renters/buyers.If you’re re planning to lease it, tenants will expect everything to be move-in ready before signing.

Quote from @Michael Belz: I was impressed by your blog post discussing the success of small cash-flowing real estate deals in Detroit, particularly with smaller houses.

If you have any leads or information, I would love to connect and discuss potential opportunities.

Currently,I don't have any experience in RE investing but highly motivated to start it asap.

I am an investor friendly agent as well looking to start my journey in RE investing.

Happy to discuss further if you wish!