Maybe @Jay Hinrichs  will share his reason for believing that your mom's claim of adverse possession "is a pipe dream", because under California law, your mom's claim to the property is solid and straight forward. 

Confident I has solid, multi-year tenantsLessons learned?

@Marcus Phillips the key to wholesaling is having a solid list of investor buyers.

This means that the gross rent should meet the lender qualifying terms of cover the mortgage, most want 100%-130%.The main thing required from you would be a solid credit score.

Savings enough for down payment and rehabOnce they have a solid base then tackling investment properties is manageable.Just my 2 cents!

Think about how much your time is worth and whether you truly plan to build a solid, sustainable portfolio.

Do you know where to get solid appliances at a reasonable price?

While certain fundamentals are self-evident: spend less than you earn, etc. — the details can be quite tricky, and its a wise idea, in my opinion, to have a trusted set of eyes that can double-check your work or offer a second opinion.

Build solid systems to keep the project moving along.

I never made a solid return there compared to the other properties in Toronto, NYC, Minneapolis, Atlanta and New Orleans ... nor has it been conducive on any level to accomplish projects or business initiatives there.