You will meet local investors, agents, wholesalers, title companies, etc.

I'm not as experienced as many, but at the end of the day it's about "do the numbers work"?

After seeing several "market crashes" of varying degrees, an experienced lender will not lend 100%..particularly on a non-owner-occupied investment.

He is experienced in real estate and is a realtor and has  been doing it for many years.

If you get a buyer's agent in CA, you need to make sure that they are negotiating for you (we/the agent should not be just doing the paperwork).

Fellow agents.

I have made offers, received countless emails from wholesalers and agents but still no deal.

I've done a ton of investigating including talking with an agent, real estate attorney, and going to the county to pull records. 

This is why RE agents often have sellers remove the JADU when selling.  

Buying a property for your mom that you have to put money into each month even after the mortgage is paid off (taxes, insurance, maintenance) will only work if you have significant appreciation to offset that, which is what you probably experienced in California (and I experienced in Canada).