Our other investments are in American based independent Oil companies that either do re-works or drill new wells.

I may be over thinking it, but it seems that becoming a RE Pro in the eyes of the IRS is in my best interest and I want to properly log everything and take advantage of everything I do RE related, if it counts towards those hours. 

If you have a full time W2 job that you work at for 2080 hours per year, you'll have to do RE investing for 2081 hours per year to be a professional.There is an exception.

Aside from rent-to-own leads, what other type of leads do RE investors want?

I do work 9-5 job and do RE in part time.When I started , I ended running out of money on my reno, had to work 9-5, come home and work 4 more hours every day to do the reno.

If you're going to move in order to do RE investing (buy and hold, I assume you mean by "investing") there are probably few areas that are worse to move to than LA.

I say former just because I burned myself out working a full-time job and trying to do RE full time and one paid more than the other at the time.So, now I'm looking into the future with investing.

It certainly pays to educate yourself before doing much, but you gotta know that about 90% of the people that are "going to do" RE investing never get out of the paralysis by analysis stage.

My mortgage broker referred me to a group of guys that do RE Investments.

Then do re-con work... gather all information... addresses of all is a MUST.