The limit is "three unrelated people" and cousins are not considered related under this code.

We like self-storage because even if there is a recession, and people downsize, those people will have a need for self-storage, as evidenced by storage occupancy rates during past recessions.

From what I see, there are people who invest in different real estate markets all over the country.

After punching your rental income from tax returns MOST people more or less break even ion a rental.

I feel like my "circle of people" really needs an expansion and improvement and I want someone with more experience in the field I want to be in to really help me gain myself to success!

I am not trying to knock those approaches and obviously they have worked great for many people but I feel the market is different then it was in the past. 

You might need to file 1099s if you used contractors or other people whom you paid for labor:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/1167632-expla...

A lot of people say they can't find a good investment in LA, but you are proof that deals can be found.

My wife and I have overhauled our personal budget to reflect the 'pay yourself first' approach (allocate in order: income comes in -> invest -> donate -> fixed expenses -> variable expenses -> fun $$).We are looking to see what experienced people generally recommend for a holding tank for that 'invest' allocation while we target our first real estate deal.What financial vehicles have you guys used that works well for this?

As a few have mentioned, the best way would be to call the listing agents directly, but depending on how much time you want to dedicate, setting and going on multiple appointments with different people could prove to be time-consuming.