When you build enough capital/assets/net worth to afford a reasonable monthly cushion you can see if the lifestyle of a full time investor is something you’d want to pursue.  

California is just not affordable for us, but we still loved living here.

I can't speak too much to the market on the Westside, but as far as affordability on the West Coast Spokane is worth looking into.

The draw is actually this coming Fri for 2026The market for STR seems saturated in popular/touristic regions, however, if you have a unique property and offer affordable pricing, you may get descent occupancy. 

The main reason is to incentivize affordable housing development.

Only other advice I have is to try to find a quad, not a duplex, in the nicest neighborhoods you can afford.

This is the heart of the reason housing isn't mroe affordable, that landlords bear these types of costs every day.You could probably find cheaper labor, especially to haul away the junk, but not easily as an out of state investor. 

There was a time when I networked at Meet-ups and other real estate related gatherings but i am not afford the flexibility to do so in volume. 

Do you have an idea of how much you can afford to put down? 

Even the best property management companies (PMC) struggle with:- Finding reliable handyman and contractors (ServiceTechs)- Same with affordable ones- Tracking preventive maintenance- Tracking previous work for potential reoccurrence warranty coverage- Understanding tenant reported problems, so the correct ServiceTech can be dispatched- Determining if tenant is at fault for an issue & should be charged - and will proof stand up in court?