Matt, the areas you mentioned, you even like the inland empire and deserts in southern California.

Yet, the principle of helping others do better brings me a sense of fulfillment.I really would like to invest in the IE (inland empire), because I think LA and nearby areas are supersaturated with investors already.

-focus on Inland Empire where I could basically do exactly what I want to do which is do light rehab and flip on the really good deals I get and wholesale the slimmer one's for a fee-move to Phoenix and basically have the same strategy as for Inland Empire.

My goal here is to learn how to use my resources, personal (plenty) and financial (not so much), to create an empire!

Mighty industrial empire shattered.

I'm the third generation following the same path trying to grow the empire in the continental USA. 

@Neil Da SilvaI would say 'history...' because the PTB (Powers That Be) tend to run the same plays, from the empirical playbooks moderne, and ancient, time and again.

I've heard a lot of talk about the Inland Empire so I'll definitely check that out to start.  

And same with the west not as bad as it was but it was pretty bad in central CA PHX inland empire Vegas there for a while with the amount of vacant foreclosed homes..

Some people look around the Inland Empire, Bakersfield, Fresno...you have a better shot there, but it's still going to be rough.