One unit was vacant at the time of purchase, so I was able to execute a House Hack followed up with some light rehab and eventually lease up the property.

Please - do this today: Send her a Notice To Quit for Non-Payment of Rent; you will need to send this to her via USPS with proof of delivery required so you can use it in any legal proceeding.

I also want to learn about other types of investment besides real estate so if you have any suggestions let me know. 

So yes, it's definitely something you need to be careful with.  

So there's no point in having an out of state LLC in that scenario.I would imagine other states have similar laws, but I do not know for sure.

Cash flow is difficult here in California, and so I'm looking for opportunities that have strong appreciation and long-term growth opportunities with strong tenant bases to complement my long-term investment strategy.I appreciate any insight and stories.

Having owned property in rockford its not a great appreciation area so getting a HELOC will probably take 5-10 years based on loan pay down and maybe some slight appreciation.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

So, don't be fooled by the common name for some of these auctions. 5.

.: So in 25 years people that buy now will be glad.