My wife and I just moved to Sacramento 2 weeks ago from the bay. 

if you want to move to a LCOL market and house hack there, that's great. 

As you mentioned, networking seems to be key in this business.

Are there key adjustments I should consider when applying these strategies in today’s market?

@Jerry Zigounakisi'd pick a market close to you, or one you have strong ties in, rather than trying to get to one via math.can you invest where you live, or 1-2 hours from where you live, or where you like to vacation, or where you went to college, or where you plan to move someday?

Staying updated and having a good insurance broker is now a key part of your core five (4+1).

And of course, getting financing squared away is key so you know your price range, which will help narrow down locations and strategies.

Companies choosing new locations look for these key factors:Metro population over 1 Million: Companies require access to a large, skilled workforce and established infrastructure.Low Crime Rates: High crime deters both businesses and residents.Low Operating Costs: Companies prefer locations with lower taxes and fewer regulations to maintain competitiveness.Low Risk of Natural Disasters: Companies avoid areas prone to natural disasters that can disrupt operations.

Buy and holds is the key to true wealth with all the benefits of depreciation, appreciation, loan pay down by your tenants, leveraging the equity, cash-flow etc etc, but it often times isn't the active income that pays the bills until you build up a portfolio and even then there's the tenant management or managing your property managers.That's why I'm involved in all 3.

There's obviously quite a bit of diligence that comes after such as who the key principles are and their credentials/track record (both balance sheet and experience), the underlying real estate and thesis behind the investment & tax prep and audit procedures but as a general rule of thumb if the investor can't get past the first part which is understanding what they are investing in, passive investing is probably not for that individual.