Option 2: Electrician recommended mini splits - said 2 units should do the trick and would cost around $6-$7k.Heating system 2 is forced hot air oil furnace specifically for the 3rd unit.

Any areas of the city that are recommended to start looking in? 

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? 

Agreed - plus two additional thoughts:1) I always recommend having your CPA also review the drafted operating agreement for the tax issues. 

I recommend finding ones who are licensed, experienced in house flipping themselves, don't allow JVs,  and are actually selling to end buyers instead of other wholesalers. 

I believe they were recommended to by a neighbor of one of our partners.

Consulting a tax professional is recommended for accuracy.

I’d recommend starting with rental arbitrage to get your feet wet and generate some positive cash flow.While I haven’t personally done rental arbitrage, some of my employees have, and they found it to be profitable.However, as a long-term strategy, you’re essentially building your castle on someone else’s land.

Which one would you recommend for a rookie?

If you are bothered by investors sharing a win in their post, I recommend you don't waste your time reading the post.