I live in Las Vegas and now that I am in a position to buy, I have been looking at properties on Zillow.

Las Vegas is still strong. 

I am immensely grateful that the pandemic, in its own peculiar way, presented me with the opportunity to save money and devote time to rectifying my credit score, ultimately enabling me to pay off all my debts within the span of that very year.Emboldened by this newfound financial stability, I ventured into the realm of real estate by earnestly exploring available condominium options in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Still very close to CA but no state income tax, property taxes DO NOT reassess on the sale (4th lowest property taxes in the US), much more landlord friendly, diversified job growth, population growth, and Reno doesn't have as severe of weather in the summer as Vegas.

What are your thoughts on real estate investing in the Las Vegas market?  

I am looking into AZ because it’s a less expensive market and I’ve been to Vegas but never been to AZ so i wanted at least check it out before i rule it out completely.

You get email offering Vega’s room for $x (the x being a function of how much they believe you will spend,the more they think you will spend the lower the price for the room), but you get there and there is a large resort fee (in addition to the various taxes).  

.🚄 Construction activities on I-15 near Las Vegas indicate progress on the high-speed train project between southern California and Las Vegas, with nighttime work focusing on geophysical and soil testing.I hope you’ve enjoy this month’s newsletter.

If you're in So Cal, the closest neighboring city with better property taxes (they don't reassess on the sale), landlord laws, prices, etc. is Nevada (particularly Vegas). 

Quote from @Bradley Buxton: @Dave MeyerRegardless if the numbers the stock market seems to be more of a VC casino than a wealth building strategy.