Appreciation, mortgage pay down, and tax benefits are icing on the cake. 

In Orange County, investors I know are mostly flipping properties around Orange/Tustin/Anaheim or investing in the industrial asset class.

Having multiple streams is just icing on the cake!

Ive tried even looking for homes in LA, Long Beach, Anaheim, Riverside, and other areas but just can't seem to find a property that fits my criteria to House Hack. 

@Vinh Huynh, managing this yourself is a piece of cake.  

Invest for cash flow first, tax advantages are second, pay down of loan is third (increase equity = over time) and appreciation is just icing on the cake.

@Mike McKinzie  Oh no you cant really be thinking about appreciation.. that's gambling.. that's speculation , that's icing on the cake LOL.. unfortunately  your thought process and mine are very much a minority thought process on BP.BP tends to be cash flow first foremost and always.. to the point that beginning investors actually believe it and take the risk chasing very high paper yields with no clue the risk they are taking. 

If the property doesn't cash flow or appreciate it doesn't matter because that's icing on the cake for him however he won't be in business if he doesn't provide a return.  

You could have your cake and eat it too — a degree will help you in the future for sure and also a different program could help you start doing the things you love while you finish school.

Jim K, yours takes the cake.