In CA building codes are revised frequently, electricians must take "on going education " & test & re-certify with the state annually.

My advice is to educate yourself on the local market, network with other investors and agents, and always have a solid plan in place before making any investments. 

My name is Chase Busick, & I started investing in early 2014 while in the military, by aggressively increasing my savings rate (as I am a pretty minimal person) & sacrificing thousands of hours of my time, energy, & money in self education.

Arizona has good appreciation potential but is getting a bit tighter on cash flow, while Wisconsin still offers affordability if you stay local and know the neighborhoods well.When you’re comparing markets, I’d focus on these key metrics:Rent-to-price ratio (aim for 0.8–1% or higher)Job and population growth trendsLandlord regulations and property taxesDiversity of industries (to avoid dependence on one employer/sector)Also, look into markets where you’d actually want to live or visit frequently, especially for your first few deals, it makes managing and learning much easier.

From what you described, your network may just need more education on the opportunity, and real estate in particular. 

-ADP Will Provide Free Private Sector Job estimates each week in the absence of government data during the ShutDown.

Quote from @Tara Montgomery: I agree that education is huge for anyone who wants to invest long-term.

We’re planning to purchase our first rental property next year and have been preparing by watching BiggerPockets content and educating ourselves as much as possible.

Now we just need to fill them all up, and take all the spillover to what was here already and then get some rent increaes.Plenty of big players here...and small ones too.MF investor meetup groups are pretty active here and there are plenty of people like Brad Sumrok doing trainings for a very effective price if you want to drink education from a fire hydrant.MF covers a whole lot of different things....some things to watch out for here are old buildings with central boilers for hot water, central AC coolers, flat roofs, AC units on the top of 3 story buildings or higher, corroded sewer pipes. 

Educating yourself through books and podcasts what a good flip deal looks like.2.