This has been my favorite real estate site since I discovered it a little over a year ago.I am a Realtor® in Orange County with Evergreen Realty and Associates.

But I want to watch news that's more than NPCs saying "Orange Man Bad")

If neighbors, or people in town, see you as someone that is not from the area trying to build an STR empire, you will likely get brushback.As I also do STRs in Orange County, CA -- comparitively, I view JT as relatively low-risk to ever losing the option to rent out my properties short-term.

Hello BP nation, My name is Keaton English; I'm a new agent in Orange County with a primary emphasis on investing.

I have been debating between Orange County and Riverside, leaning towards Riverside, but have no actual data to anchor this hunch down to.

Seems like it's apples and oranges; still fruit, but with a different taste.:)

I currently flip homes in LA and Orange Counties.

., I agree with @Russell Brazil 100% You don't have to be in markets like Austin or Los Angeles to diversify, I'm very familiar with both of those markets as I lived in Los Angeles/Orange County, CA. most of my life, you can get the same type of diversity and ROI's in our region here in the DMV area.

Sounds like your spot is in a great location.Focus is key, but you can only focus once you know what you're after.If you're seeking to maximize cashflow, you'll be targeting different areas than if you're seeking long-term appreciation, which can be a risky proposition depending on the location and current cashflow.For example, on paper, returns in riskier markets will appear higher from a cashflow standpoint (think  rougher sections of Newark, East Orange, etc.).

If you want to get more involved on the policy side of things, Eli Spevak of Orange Splot LLC is trying to get the City of Portland to change its zoning rules for tiny houses: http://www.orangesplot.net/changing-the-rules/.