Andy Sirkin, based in San Francisco but supposedly has done some in Las Angeles. 

Are they commission based, flat fee?

Hey jason, a lot of investors based in markets like California and New York are choosing to purchase their investments OOS in the Midwest because of the affordability and numbers making more sense.

ABL, which is the basis for HML/fix and flip lending, will have different criteria and different focuses than multi-year loans based on cashflow and borrower credit score (long term mortgages).

To start your journey, I recommend focusing on building your network by joining meetups and engaging in online forums, while narrowing down your first investment based on your budget, market, and goals.

Natural appreciation usually takes holding the property for at least a few years (just depending on what the RE market does going forward).  

I am local to Los Angeles - based in Orange County.A bit about me: I’m a civil engineer by profession with experience in local government.

I actually keep a list our bookkeeping firm recommends based on firms/individuals we and our Clients have had good experiences with as well as I've personally had good experiences with.

Here’s my perspective based on personal experience.For some context, I’ve been investing in real estate since 2019, primarily in Detroit, while living in California.

They barely lasted in California (they are based on London).The challenge is (1) you are assuming all listings have open houses and (2) there are a lot of moving parts that can happen behind the scenes.