Really appreciate all your posts.Im not sure if doesnt trust them-I think she is just getting overwhelmed and not sure how much she can rely on these people to help be her eyes somewhere where she is not that familiar. 

As you clearly have a job, you won't be relying on your real-estate investments for immediate income, so you should strongly consider house hacking in the Bay Area.

Am I naïve in thinking that an already profit-generating business would allow for a fast-track transition into building a wealth-building RE portfolio without having to rely on creative financing and techniques such as exclusively BRRRing?

Then use the cash you have now to find a conservative rental property that you can rely on annually to bring in some additional income. 

We don't recommend relying solely on an agent as they're out of the picture after the closing.

Don't rely on tenants to do whats right by your property, put it in the lease.

I would NEVER rely on a tenant to maintain my assets.As a tenant I would request to have something caulked and if the LL didnt do it in a reasonable time, I would ask if they wanted me to do it (since I know how)

I hope you did not rely on Airdna data as it’s quite unreliable.

I would like to have it established so that when I retire, I have enough cash flow to support my family and not need to rely on a W-2 job while I continue to build my portfolio.

I think this question relies greatly on an individual's tolerance for risk, as well as several other factors not mentioned.