If you’re a California resident, the state will still expect you to pay its annual franchise tax for your LLC, even if the LLC holds properties out of state.

LOC's can have negative effects on your future purchasing power if not set up correctly and keeping in mind you can "never" use an LOC as a reserve or asset.It will always be a debt burden and can over inflate your back end debt ratios depending on the W2 income and your liabilities.

I get paid within a day of arrival (I now set up direct pay so I will handle my own payments going forward).  

When driving for dollars, don't just focus on fixer-upper houses, pay attention to the vacant land lots that you will find.   

I am in SoCal and Detroit has been in my mind but have zero knowledge about the market.

No matter where you choose to invest, please keep in mind the following (copy & paste):--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 Class A property in Class D area, what quality of tenant will you get?

How do they pay?

Are there any red flags or challenges specific to this neighborhood that I should keep in mind?

A strong partnership is built on trust, shared values, and aligned goals, so it's not something to rush into.I recommend attending in-person networking events to meet like-minded individuals.

The E-Myth by Michael Gerber- Start and operate your business with the consumer in mind... not you... not your product or service.