That way my clients have the accurate cash flow numbers for each unit.

As far as I know they have been experiencing infrastructure issues for some time now  infrastructure issues from the day they recorded the subdivision platts. those lots have traded at tax sale and foreclosures for decades now.. just like many areas like it in other parts of the country.. just watch Glen Garry Glen Ross to see how those parcels were orginally sold.. that movie is dead on accurate.

Even if you are not trying to avoid the reassessment hike, I would still be interested as to what indicators you are looking for to ensure the taxes are as accurate as they can be.

I intend to self-manage the first 2–4 rentals to learn the ropes before transitioning to a property manager.From what I’ve gathered, once your systems are dialed in, managing rentals can be fairly light on a week-to-week basis.

Gathering collective wisdom and experience along the way. 

I’m currently reviewing the financials and gathering all details directly from the brokers to move forward with the right partner. 

I can only imagine the stories and wisdom your family has gathered over the years.We don’t have much experience investing in California ourselves—just the occasional visit and some eye-popping Zillow browsing!

@Stan Watkins Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

(If accurate, people are getting paid and deals are being closed)Their (3rd party) capital raiser verbally stated they've observed PMLs being paid back.For each property I will try to run my own comps and see if their math checks out.

In your professional opinion what do you think is the first step I should take to gather more research?