Focus on identifying promising neighborhoods in the north or east bay by leveraging your husband’s contractor network, local real estate agents, and online deal-finding platforms.

Looking for in country contacts banks, agents, contractors, recommended areas, etc to prep for a productive visit.  

It even helps with finding contractors as you can show them what quality you expect and they in turn can show you what they can do.Will it help you sell more or get more money? 

If you have any contractors ask them if they know of any properties for sale.

Connecting with local contractors or experienced investors in your area is also very helpful for getting accurate numbers.For ARV you’ll want to look at comps; You can start on Zillow or Realtor.com but I highly suggest connecting with a local agent.

The other hurdle is to find a contractor, that is something that you can do as well.

My son (age 24) however, is an independant contractor / self employed and is trying to buy a house. 

I partner with a rockstar contractor and a top level investor friendly agent and if we buy right and nail our numbers, there is plenty to split at the end.  

He has lived here his entire life, and knows the area very well, and he is a general contractor and has been remodeling homes in our area for 20 years.

To invest out of state successfully, focus on building a strong local team (agent, PM, contractors), automating deal analysis, and using contingencies to protect yourself.