I'm always happy to help other people with my skills and knowledge within my circle of competence or even with Internet solutions or other real estate related tasks you may need to get done, so I can be valuable for you as well.  

I would love to hear the community's thoughts on these websites (and any others) that are shifting the way people are buying/selling/shopping homes and how that will affect all the players within the industry in 2017, and into the future:http://www.reali.com/supporting article: http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/reali-real-estat...https://www.opendoor.com/ supporting article: FORBEShttps://www.crelow.com/ Happy Holidays BP

Meeting area investors in the field will go a long way to getting you moving forward and that should start with local meet-ups, REIA groups and such simply to find out who the players and posers are.  

It's unfortunate if ppl abuse wholesaling but there are also bad players that are licensed as well.

It won't be the crazy wild west like last time, but interest rates and property values can only go so high before the supply surpasses the demand and the market shifts into the favor of buyers and sellers start competing with each other by lowering prices.You could purchase a small multifamily property here in Sacramento for $300k or less, see a positive cash flow of $500 per month, have the tenants pay the down the property for you and still make money when you sell it in a couple years at the peak of the market.

Very hard to compete money wise.  

This probably would not be my first choice, @Robert Bennett,  if you are trying to compete with the quality of apartments that are springing up all over and many more planned.

On the other hand, CA is an extremely competitive market so getting an offer accepted with addendum terms is challenging because competing offers may be All Cash, 3 Day Close, no additional terms or contingencies.

I like the approach of professional sports teams - trade trade trade until you get a franchise player. 

If you buy ready to rent properties you are competing with homeowners.