Our Board of Realtors also produces ongoing reports on market changes - New Listings, Pendings, Solds, Price changes, SFR vs Attached, Volume, Days on Market, etc. 

My thoughts (other than you're from my original land, I grew up in Orange):Once upon a time, many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, I ran a utility in a state where utilities could be placed as liens on properties.

I would encourage you to keep house hacking as an on going strategy as its an easy way to acquire multiple properties over the course of a few years. 

I've paid a few times to get rid of ants and it seems like there will need to be some ongoing treatments.

I ran out of cash purchasing these 4 investment properties and putting down payment on purchasing my personal residence 6 months ago.

This is an ongoing game here in Chicago, and those of us with portfolios know we have to play the game! 

Your rehab numbers are light, because when you long term hold a property (vs flip) you have to spend more money to bulletproof a property not just make it pretty; i.e. fixing mechanicals to make sure the property will not require ongoing repairs. 

I'm living in California and he is deployed in Iraq.

I ran an MLS search of the areas you are considering, plus the zip codes I've mentioned above.

If you have an ongoing FC and are at the point where you are receiving sale dates please feel free to share.Right now:In Maryland in PG county I cannot get the sheriff to serve  a borrower since August, so this has of course been delayed.In Illinois, I received a date in October for a FC in April of 2021.I heard someone in MI just received a date of June 2021.Feel free to share to let people know approximate delays.