I'd like to up my knowledge baseline so I can be strategic about my first steps in REI. 

Total returns can be subdivided into many different "flavors" (cash flow, mortgage pay down, tax savings, appreciation) and can be strategically shifted and reclassified from one kind to another by a skilled operator, or accidentally by an ignorant one. 

I encourage you to stay in school for now and build strategic relationships and learn as much as you can on the side about investing until you can start to transition from the rat race to your passion of real estate investing.

There are strategic directions you can go where you can cater to your professional background more directly - however I think 'building value' is what business and RE is all about - so if you can use your financial background to 'build value' -say with technology to provide more useful tools or insight, great. 

We’re currently strategizing on how to best establish business lines of credits for our LLC.

It's my niche and I love talking about getting into one and strategizing around the purchase of one.Best,Dom

Give me a shout if you are around, we can talk and strategize a plan of action for what yyou want to do out here.Thanks, Scott

At this point I'm looking for anyone just to talk to more about this goal, to give me some pointers, just to strategize.

I'm looking for recommendations for a lender, or just strategic ideas of how we could continue to use the conventional lender that we have.

We know that turning a profit in California is near impossible, but we want to live in California AND we want to be strategic with our first home by thinking of it as an investment strategy.