I 100% agree with you and your friends that real estate is the most attainable way to achieve financial independence and generational wealth and I commend you for your passion.I'm an agent and investor also located in Los Angeles County.

I live in Los Angeles and I just got licensed a few months ago so I'm as new as you can get.

I've been investing in real estate 55+ years and never gave a lot of consideration for properties under Los Angeles Rent Control where the rent increase is capped at a flat 3% and landlords have to pay tenants up to $22,500 to get them to vacate.

As a previous resident of Los Angeles, Florida is a great location to invest the profits for growth.

Check out the Supreme Court decision on City of Los Angeles v.

Renting from a regulatory perspective is more difficult in Los Angeles county, but the price point might mean a higher profit for flips.

There are also a couple REIA's in Los Angeles but the LA South REIA would be your second closest, located in Torrance which is still pretty far. 

@Luke Devine Not only is house hacking a possibility in high cost markets like Hawaii or coastal areas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego; it is the absolute best way to go for beginners especially.With the right approach, house hacking can be a great way to reduce housing costs for just about anyone even those married with kids. 

I live in the south bay area of Los Angeles, near the ocean.

I am in Los Angeles California the market is fairly high.