Feel free to reach out with any questions about repairs, construction, mechanics, etc, as I am well versed in those fields.

There's a good chance the issue(s) you face has already been discussed and answered.Ask questions in the appropriate forum.

My electrician insisted in rewiring my house without ripping out the existing drywall. In a lot of sections of the house this was a good thing because less drywall work, but there is one room that has old wood panelin...

Quote from @Marc Shin: Question - should I be providing my guests with free Netflix? 

But to your question ... 

No problem, though—I can get close to $100K saved by the end of the year, so I’ll be in a much stronger position.My question is, is there a specific number I should be striving for that would put me in a good position to invest in real estate?

You mentioned you are struggling financially - answer a few questions for yourself- How long can you reasonably afford the property given the current tenancy issues?  

Single-family homes are a great starting point, and as you look into multifamily opportunities, you’ll find they can offer more reliable cash flow and scalability.I’m a fellow investor based in Encino, and if you ever have any questions about investing in single-family homes in Los Angeles or multifamily opportunities, I’d be happy to share insights and experiences.

To answer your question directly- you might explore some third party software- brightinvestor is a great platform for this type of data. 

The specific town may not be relevant for this questions, hence I'm skipping that..