You can get more options for less than the hardware stores.If you are talking more than surface level, changing kitchen layout, removing walls, bathrooms, etc, then there is a much deeper understanding of space required. 

My personal idea is that, yes I may be using a little money that I could use for investing, but I will be investing in myself, building a network with another group of people, and most important gaining deeper knowledge of real estate.

I will definitely look deeper into the probate process as well as everything else!

I have good income, no debt and I want to dive into real estate investing.

Obviously we need some deeper digging and get a better grasp on all the numbers before we make any move especially when its critical that our first one goes well. again thanks

Without knowing your personal financial status, I can simply recommend to you what we have done:- Save enough money for us to be financially sufficient for 1 year if either of us lose our jobs- Diversify our stock portfolio across multiple financial advisorsBudget our expenses out and perform a deep dive analysis every 3 months to ensure we do not lose site of irregularly allocated financesIf you can find a good deal, I think that is a better investment than paying off your primary residence.

I'm looking for a mentor in the Bay Area (as far as up to Sacramento) to help me dive into the world of real estate investing.

There definitely a deeper root cause of why the kids is the way that kids is.

By the time you distribute the proceeds, you will theoretically have already paid taxes on it, thus it is normally not taxable.There are always exceptions, so have a chat with your accountant if you want to really dive in the details. 

Then for properties that seemed like they could be anywhere close to a good deal, I dropped them into my spreadsheet for deeper analysis.