It doesn't seem to follow your format as closely as I was hoping (I know it was developed with a fair amount of input from Bigger Pocketers), but it looks quite helpful in many ways.  

Is it not smart to start in California because of this?

This post is for seasoned investors.You are starting out and do not have a mortgage, yet.

Another thing to be mindful of if you use a bank/commercial lender is the pre-payment penalty many include in their loans if you choose to refinance (many have descending penalties in years 1-5 that can start upwards of 4-5%).

Ask @Dave Foster for any 1031 questions…But I’d start with these…Are you planning to pay all cash for the replacement property since it will probably be either impossible or expensive to get the loan in the LLC’s name.Why are you putting the property in an LLC?

This would be our first investment and like many starting out, I want to properly educate myself by learning and doing as I go on with this project. 

Started a reading journey in November of 23 that changed my trajectory.  

.- Any insights on recent market trends or upcoming developments in Pittsburgh would be greatly appreciated.Thanks in advance for your help!

I started by placing my 1st rental property into an LLC (for this example, *JOHN SMITH PROPERTY INVESTMENT, LLC*).

It's great to hear about you starting your real estate journey.