So your odds of reaching that 8-10% CoC potential is possible, but tougher.

There are some restrictions so I would encourage you to look into it to see if eligibility applies.

So if your big into water sports, living in the desert could have all the profit in the world but it's going to be miserable hell and odd's are after some months the profits wont matter.

Several things to consider: 1) One of the main purposes of segmenting your assets into separate LLC's is so that your personal net worth or equity in other business ventures or properties isn't exposed, so unless you have a high net worth or a lot of equity in a property, it might not be worth bothering going the separate LLC route, especially when it restricts your financing of the property.  2) Most any commercial financing you get from a local bank for a small property is going to have recourse anyhow and require that you sign a personal guarantee, so you're still personally on the hook to the bank even in the case of a commercial loan.  3) If you're a newer investor and buying a deal that's tight on cash flow, or if you don't have a ton of cash sitting in the bank already, your greatest risk factor as an investor is your investment failing economically due to poor financing terms or not operating the investment properly, not because you get sued. 

Of course, with all things, the answers to all these matters will depend on the circumstances.California tends to have more laws on the books and requirements and restrictions that it can be a good idea to form a CA LLC for out of state property so that you as a CA resident are covered, and to try to have your contracts fall under the purview of CA courts.

Separate checking accounts not required, but you need to maintain separate books and records.The TREC requirement is correct, but odds of enforcement seem low.

Also, consider the potential for appreciation and rental restrictions, as some HOAs have rules that might limit leasing later on.Given your $20k starting point, a condo could work well as your first step into real estate, especially if you focus on one with a manageable HOA fee and potential for appreciation.

Profile here for reference: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/amyb289It stood out as oddly out of place to me to the point where I recalled it and was able to dig it up tonight.Anyway, again...

Normally, unless there are specific building code restrictions, the amount of units allowed on a lot is determined by the Floor Area Ratio. 

You will be tempted to go with the cheap guy , you may get lucky , odds are you wont .