For example for me, CoC does not matter as I buy in A/B areas and I hold long term so I am comfortable knowing even if I have zero a slightly negative CoC to start over the long term it will turn and I will end up with a nice return after many years. 

Clearly, you wouldn't be comfortable investing there and that's totally fine.

I’d love to hear from others who have reached a comfortable place in real estate:What’s your next step once you’ve “made it”?

If your properties are all located in CA I would advise looking in states like IN, OH, FL, TN, OR, GA and a few other states depending on comfort zone.

I’d love to hear from others who have reached a comfortable place in real estate:What’s your next step once you’ve “made it”?

Get out of your comfort zone.

Also (if you choose well), you are hiring a manager who has many more years of experience than you can ever hope to have, and will avoid rookie mistakes.The downside is that not everyone feels comfortable doing due diligence on sponsors.

Best first property to buy IMO is a househackIf you have 150k in my market you have lots of room to buy a very nice duplex that is comfortable to live in a really separates you from the other unit

Dayton could be a good alternative, offering similar price points.To narrow your options further, consider factors like population and job growth, cash flow potential, and the quality of neighborhoods you’d feel comfortable investing in.

Researched, test drove for a weekend, comfortable with buying it.