Live in CA, Invest in AL & MO

I have been investing in Real Estate for the past 6 years.  I buy & hold most deals, but occasionally I flip.  For example, this month I close 20 SFRs and only one is a flip. The remaining 19 will be renovated and rented.  I am looking to expand my investment business so that in the first quarter of 2016 I am buying 40-50 properties each month. I hope to buy 400-500 properties next year.  Some people say investing out of your area/state is a bad idea, but for me it was the only way for me to succeed as the area I live in is incredibly expensive and competition with other investors makes acquiring properties very difficult and far less profitable.