We will be at the Inland Empire Real Estate Club at the Mission Inn next wensday if you have to time come on by you will see how real estate investors buy homes in the Inland  Empire.Jim

Hopefully one day I'll be able to leave the corporate world to run our real estate empire :) We want to get our business up an running in the next 6 months! 

He is proof that you can use that money right there close by like the inland empire instead of going out of town.  

But see above if your goal is to continually expand your RE empire. 

Now that you have exhausted your Low Down Payment Options (Portfolio-Conventional and FHA) you will need to use a Standard Conventional Loan and put 20% down to get your 3rd Duplex.The sky is the limit...you could continue to buy properties and build an empire or just stop there and enjoy more free time...I have friend who quit his job and just manages his properties now.Be alert, if you time it right you might be able to get down payment assistance/grants (I got $5,000 from a local program and used it to buy my interest rate down to 3.125% which is way below typical market rates for a Duplex).

I'm looking to get started in RE investing with multi unit rental properties about 5-10 units in Southern California Inland Empire area.

However, I plan on building an empire.

Thanks @James HollandAlso how would I go to create an "empire" and make the best out of this situation?

Their credit record is the best empirical barometer that I've got.

Inland Empire, Palmdale).I have also been researching out of state investing, and it looks enticing.