Very unfortunate such a great state has laws that are so anti-investment.

I see people get scammed on a regular basis with the promise of cheap money on great terms if they just pay "$x" money upfront.2).

Hello @Jonathan Hinojosa,California is an anti-landlord state with high operating costs.

What should I look for to avoid investment scams or pitfalls?

It meant it was a scam.

.** Small towns may rely too much on a single business or market segment.Both state and metro populations are increasing.Low crime - High crime and long-term appreciation and rent growth are mutually exclusive.Rent control - Never invest in a location with rent control or similar anti-landlord regulations.Low operating cost - Investors often overlook operating costs when selecting an investment location, so below is an example to illustrate the difference in location costs.Rents keep pace with inflation.

Those who think they can go it alone or under some scamming guru, well, they are probably the same ones who would represent themselves in their own murder trial, the audacity on this site is unbelievable.Beware of the gurus, they will be coming out of the woodwork with schemes and deceiving information, in fact some already have.You're right, thanks to open forums, information here is a real mess. :)

What a SCAM!" 

They are scam artists.

Think of any debt you have in terms of being "an anti-Treasury".