A taxpayer can generally claim that a rental property is ready if the property either receives, or is ready to receive, a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) by a state or local authority.

How many will be local? 

There were no local programs, all would be online. 

I would think there’s a way to get that information in CA, but you’d need to ask local experts.

Space is currently "97 % occupied" but I am skeptical of the numbers and also there are two bigger storage players in the area which I am concerned about.

That said, I can tell you that sometimes a standard form provided by an association or even the California Bar may not meet legal requirements for the local jurisdiction that your property is located in.

If your looking to learn the trade and want to find a mentor to guide you, the I would suggest visiting one of the local REI clubs in Spokane or Couer D'Alene.

I will be moving out of the country for work and won't be back until 2026 so we only have a "local" market for the immediate future and then we are locked in to "out of state" investing. 

Presumably you can also protect against this with the aforementioned neighborhood growth trends.A lot of money has been spent and lost trying to use the best information out there to determine local buying decisions at the property level.

Call agents locally that are doing 25-30+ deals a year and also property managers..