You've got a better chance of stable, long-term tenants and you have a better shot at self-managing.

Mostly I am looking to build up more in my retirement.  

Opening up a secluded area like Humboldt a bit certainly has the potential to up property values as Bay Area folk look for places other than the Sierras for vacation homes or retirement homes. 

It was very informative and put the fear in my heart over my sad retirement plan.

This is oftentimes an older owner who may want less work/tenants, but still wants an earning asset to provide income for their daily expenses in retirement.

For now I'll concentrate on rehabbed 3 to 6 flats in stable communities but I don't see too many on the market that's within my price range. 

I was a licensed contractor in California, but let my license expire when I moved to Arizona 12 years ago.Our intention is to start wholesaling before moving into fixing and flipping, with our ultimate goal of building a rental portfolio for retirement.

Backstory: the sellers are retiring from Indiana and moving to Florida.  

I agree with everyone up there you should definitely look at markets that make sense. 2nd tier cities are pretty good for investing and are relatively stable. 

@Steve Marshall Welcome to BP, and to intentional real estate investing.I retired after 20 year in the USAF, and stayed near Wright-Patterson AFB.