@Elva Rinus check out the local meetups in the OC.OCREIN - Learn How to Flip Homes in Less than One Hour (biggerpockets.com)Cash-Flow Breakfast Club - Orange County CA - REI Mastermind & Networking event (biggerpockets.com)Good Investing...

I don't know for ring but for nest the cameras need to be on a separate account from other homes.

With buying a home for personal use, what are the best months of the year to purchase where the cost will be lower.

Of particular interest are: Multi-Family Complexes, Medical & Industrial Parks, Warehouse & Storage Facilities, RV & Mobile Home Parks, Sale and Triple NNN lease backs, Agricultural and Timber investments. 

ADUs or carriage houses are well supported in adjacent downtown neighborhoods but no one is building and selling new construction homes the comparable will be very limited. the appraisal will be difficult. it's just a lot.

but the $7000 to pay off the vehicle will only save me about $600 in interest whereas investing that 7k into another home or renovations, like adding a new bathroom to my current 3bed 1bath home, would yield way more than the money saved.

As you mention I have been in 1000s of homes and a rare day when I hit a street or neighborhood I've never been in. 

Glue-down vinyl planks in homes that have really wanky floors.

A beautiful home for someone else to treasure and some profit for my father and I at the end!

I have many GC's who have placed bids on conducting a full rehab / even new build, and the area is in a great neighborhood with $400k homes across the front yard.