@Dar Baruchim you should see your first few investment properties and find experts to assist you.Buying sight unseen OOS is not recommended for newbies.

If you have time, go visit some of the homes and secret-shop them to see how they compare to yours.I recommend looking at the market at least once a month for the rest of your life to keep an eye on things.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Understand you've received some conflicting feedback so perhaps it might make sense to go with the most reputable/recommended in your area. 

Hey Victor,I would recommend shopping around at a bunch of different brokerages and finding ones with the best split and broker for guidance. 

@Ryan SummersNo matter what California is going to get you whether your LLC is in California or notMy recommendation just buy in your name and get an umbrella policy

It's definitely recommended to get permits if you have not.

The program is good but the community is outstanding they will expedite your understanding of the business help you/ your business grow exponentially - so far I recommend completely  - 2 weeks in and I already have 2 potential deals which I am following up on this weekend (doing this part time) either way I was very skeptical and now I am extremely excited and hopeful every single day, I know 2 weeks isn't a whole lot to go off of, but I plan to make a post when I assign my first contract!!

If you were looking to house hack I would recommend finding something that you could rent the top out as an air bnb (STR) and live in the basement with a completely separate entrance. 

I'd always recommend flying out to where you plan to invest to get a feel for the market and to meet your team in person.