You should look to link up with investors in those areas and get some feedback on the good, bad, and ugly. 

Lexington is bad too, but not nearly as bad as Richland County.

FHA gets a bad rap because sellers and many agents think it's only for people who don't have the money so if I had 20 percent, but wanted to use FHA, I would present a proof of funds with my offer showing I have more money, but am using the FHA as a financial option so I can get an investment property as well somewhere else.

Limited labor and resources : Unlike the catastrophic fires in Lahaina Hawaii there are significant resources in Los Angeles to contribute to recover, but quality contractors, tradesman, plumbers, electricians and laborers have long been in short supply.

One bad situation can harm all the properties.

Quote from @LaTonya Clark: I can cancel the deal with no problems. yes, I feel like I am forcing this bc I want it so bad.

It's like Whack-A-Mole: don't think about bad things happening until they do, then panic and run to BiggerPockets forum for advice.

My humble advice to anyone attempting to do creative finance is:Creative finance is for experienced investors who have access to capital if anything goes wrong.Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal levelLearn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are neededKnow everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

The quality of available tenant varies drastically depending on the neighborhood.

What you can't do remote is get a sense for the neighborhood and asset quality.