You will find many resources here on the forums and throughout the site as well.Personally, my short list of books to explore:Set For Life by @Scott TrenchRich Dad Poor Dad by Robert KiyosakiABCs of Real Estate Investing by Ken McElroyABCs of Buying Rental Property by Ken McElroyLoopholes of Real Estate by Garrett Sutton, EsqTax-Free Wealth by Tom Wheelwright, CPAThe Power of Zero by David McKnightREIT Investing for Beginners by Lawrence SmithWhat Would the Rockefellers Do?

Your best bet is to start a relationship with a local lender so you can get on the same page about what you need and when.

I'm looking to connect with Huntsville locals who can assist or point me in the right direction. go to the local FB groups I bet there everywhere 

Adding a single ADU in southern CA is typically a poor investment.  

I’m also not a fan of buying a property that loses money every month, while hoping for appreciation and betting that interest rates will fall.

That is a harsh reality every wholesaler has to face sooner or later.. well when you buy a property for 26k and you flip it for 75k real quick.. some seller just got ripped off big time and the wholesaler basically had to fib to the seller that they were paying market.. your basically stealing some poor sellers equity.. bottom line..

A drain pan is for emergency leaks from the washer, I would bet 90% of households don't have one (I don't).

In fact, I would bet that 99.9% of all wholesalers could spend the some number of hours working at McDonalds and they would make more money.I recommend you focus on the house hack.

Typically it is asking too much for rent, but it could be your advertising is poor or your property is not in good condition for that area."

If you’re completely new to real estate, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki is a great introduction to real estate investing.