I understand it won't be simple or quick, so I've chosen to start preparing now.

The answer to your question is simple for me.

If you are going to brrr I recommend Baltimore for the simple reason that you can control it easier. 

Get more creative and buy a value add deal, or look at properties with a different set of eyes to capture the appreciation and cashflow still possible in SoCal. 

Ask them to take a Chill Pill, put any bitterness and money issues on the sideline until the dust settles and don't let money cloud their lives.It is very difficult to acquire properties and simple to dump them for pennies on the dollar.

I’ve closed on simple deals and really complex transactions and can’t recommend him enough! 

If it isn't comparable, I'd tell him no plain and simple. 

that's simple. 

They are simple and contain all sorts of colorful charts, graphs and photos, but again, it's just lazy. 

The nice thing about expensive markets is you don't need a 30% discount (my last ones were in 2015) to capture serious $ off-market.