She was very pleasant and explained that their website doesn’t work, which we thought was a bit unusual.

I was just on their website looking at the permit process:CityofSac-STR PermitLooks like 90 days max until you get a conditional use permit but still reading as it seems a little unclear:A short-term vacation rental may operate from a location that is not the operator's primary residence for a total of 90 days in a calendar year.

I'm unsure if they lend on new builds or not, they do have a website where you can set a virtual meeting with them.https://www.goodfaithfund.com/

As you begin your REI journey here is one tip I have for you:Use this website as you are trying to narrow down the places you want to invest in. https://www.areavibes.com/Its awesome because it gives you a "total livability score" & you can compare different zip codes & streets to others. 

As @Troy Gandee mentioned use the tax estimator on the County website or call the assessor.

Once the property is on the MLS, it is visible through any number of consumer websites.  

Buy Box is set, class neighborhood is set (C+/B-) and rules are set.It is working well and I don't have most of the drama the other hosts I talk to have.

A coworker mentioned they learned how to invest in real estate using the Bigger Pockets website so I decided to check it out to see what it was all about.

Spent a minute on their website and this in particular stood out to me as a red flag.

Going to the events page above and seeing who is hosting meetups along with connecting with people at these meetups is a great way to grow your network of people within a small 25-50 mile radius.