I've learned by talking to recent students that the desirable locations are now closer to downtown and farther south toward Riverside drive (Chestnut-Seminary-Oak-Riverside).

I've been searching myself and there doesn't seem to be a very large community of investors here, at least not public ones.

I can see that this will do well in similar locations where rents are highest and people are looking for additional income.

I am located in SD California, and I need to get my real estate license ASAP for a job I am interning at. 

SEO marketing will help boost you atop local search results.On my team profiles/pages, we share helpful information, testimonials, past deal info, etc.

Here are a few below:Generally, buying through your personal name can reduce the interest rate - commercial rates on LLC mortgages are usually higher but you can research thisMost LLCs on incorporation don’t have any credit so it may be difficult to find. a lenderIf you own the property in your personal name you are exposing yourself to more risk and will want to transfer the property into LLC as soon as you canIf you own property in your personal name and transfer to LLC the lender may not allow or can call the entire loanLLC or personal ownership you need insurance.If you search the forums for this topic using the magnifying glass feature in top right corner of your screen on BiggerPockets you will find a lot of discussion on "Quit Claim" "Buying through LLC", "LLC or not" etc....

Could anyone provide recommendations on specific locations or strategies to maximize my chances of success in this venture?

Good luck with your search! 

best of luck to you in your search

@Jay Hinrichs: When you do your big projects, like I think you did in Gresham OR and Charleston SC, from locating land, to buying the land, to building to handing the new owners their keys, what's a typical length of time?