I'm a newbie to real estate investing and am currently focused on intensely educating myself about all things real estate and how to get my first rental property deal.

There's no problems living next to your tenants, just tell them your the manager NOT the owner to avoid guilt tripping.You have to analyze the deal 1) while you're living there 2) when you move out.

My question to y'all good folks: Do you know of, or can you recommend, a company or brokerage that deals in property management in California that I could work for full-time and learn everything there is to know? 

VERY unlikely unless you either source an off-market property yourself or you find a unicorn deal (our last semi-BRRRR was a B-neighborhood property we sourced from an out of town wholesaler in late 2023, but couldn't get all our capital back out on refi).  

Specifically, I am interested in learning more about syndications, working with lenders, lawyers, CPAs, and other professionals involved in cross-border real estate deals.

So when you hire that able handyman and give him keys to all of the apartments and the security codes without learning that he is 90 days out of prison for breaking and entering and committing assault and kidnapping your umbrella coverage may not help.And, these days, a million dollars of coverage will deal with the contents of a small truck that you sideswipe and it bounces around a little with the electronics inside.

I want to start building our portfolio and would love some experienced help with direction.Over the past ten years, it seems like I've had numerous deals/ideas that just didn't come to fruition and I'm just feeling a bit defeated. 

I have never been able to utilize any DPA with any deal as of now, but it is fun to keep it as a possible tool for use in the right situation. 

I'd love to get my feet on the ground and be in the rooms with people putting in the work and doing deals! 

Me and my wife have decided to sell our first duplex deal after 4 years of holding it we have built over 250k of equity wow !