If you have that fire inside you and you're willing to learn and work hard, you will learn quite a bit along the way, and be able to apply it as you go.

While I do agree with @Greg Scott that California is not the easiest state to be a landlord, the investment results make it worthwhile even in places like San Francisco where a savvy investor can identify the value play opportunities.The fires from the past few years have made the rental market in Sonoma and Napa counties very favorable for landlords with higher rents as demand significantly outstripped supply.

Maybe they'll get bought out at fire sale prices and their stock doesn't go right to $0 (which is usually very unlikely), but it can still drop low. 

Know that this won't be easy and that the best jump start you can give investing is having a day job, a lot of people who believe in FIRE want to get away from a job but it really turbocharges savings if you have a job and invest at the same time.

Redding has a very tight market as there were thousands of homes destroyed in the fires in Shasta and neighboring counties a few years back.

It’s to common the seller has ‘ a few friends’ living there to fix up the property or ‘ act as a property manager.’Also have a good idea about the fire hydrants.

Do NOT fire off a knee-jerk letter claiming the property as yours, polite or not.

There is a reason I have never been fired by an owner. 

The only one over 25 was a woman in her late 40's that used to work for me and was fired after costing us a lot of lost time and money.

Crazy to think that 6 short months the markets and mutual funds were on fire.  401Ks were skyrocketing and most of us felt good about our financial standing.