Always think long term and go back to the fundamentals location, cash flow, buy low and sell high.

All the fundamentals needed as well as why a Mortgage Report is so important.

Dive into the blog posts and podcasts to start building a foundation of basic real estate investing knowledge so that you understand the fundamentals. 

However, do pay attention to the fundamentals of REI and still try to make a good purchase that has cash flow.

We are going to pay a premium compared to other neighborhoods, though it must meet my fundamentals.  

This is highly dependent on the property fundamentals, financials, location, etc. 

The fundamentals mainly the cost per sq ft of  SFR are lower than multifamily - herein lies the opportunity.Torrance is a hot market but maybe you can go a little east or south, Hawthorne or San Pedro etcI assume you are looking to house hack to live there.Multifamily prices are high and tough to make the numbers work even as owner occupied assuming you are not putting down more than 35% etc.So here is my 2 cents on an ADU/house hack concept1.

I'd like to have as many fundamentals in place and ready to move before I actually put eyes on property, or at the least before I actually ink any deals.

But the fundamental question I'm hearing inside your post is 'Do I want to be a landlord of these houses from a distance and are they the best way to make money"?  

He would be teaching kids lessons and fundamentals ADULTS go and pay $40k for!