Florida, did not feature in our list. We were initially looking at California and neighboring states. Figuring we will need to initially travel to Florida if investing there.
Nevada, Reno is appealing to many CA investors because it has no state income tax, strong job growth (tech, data centers, lithium), and it's close enough to CA for easy visits. You can still build local relationships without the challenges of multi-day trips. There are also submarkets like Sparks, Minden, and Tahoe that offer dynamic options. Make sure the market aligns with your financial goals.