All economies, big and small, are made up of just two inputs: labor and capital. This is why when looking at investing in property one should take into account the labor market. California is broken into five Metropolitan Divisions (MD), which the U.S. Census Bureau defines as:

Sara Malek Barney, an interior designer, suggests on the website, FitSmallBusiness that the best return for your investment when flipping a house is to stick with Paint, Hardware, and Lighting. This fits in with the general philosophy behind buying houses for resale. Remember: you are not going to live there.

Real estate has long been one of the great wealth creation vehicles in the U.S. Despite the seemingly endless success stories, real estate investing is not a simple get rich scheme. It's a risky endeavor that has the potential to make, or break, an investor. It requires many hours of research, planning, negotiations and physical effort. Even the most seasoned investor makes mistakes, and sometimes they're costly. In fact, there are three common mistakes experienced, and novice, investors make. Avoid them and you'll have a better chance of succeeding in the real estate investment arena.

The sunny state of California is home to beautiful vibrant beaches, leading industries, new technology, and some of the best residents. The state has the largest population at 39.54 million and growing. Even with the state being called home to so many, and its continuous growth, it is where some of safest areas of the United States are.

For real estate investors, tracking the trends of millennial buyers is more important than ever. As the millennial population enters the established worker years of their lives -- most are approaching their 30s at this point! -- they will collectively look away from rentals and seek to put their now-established career earnings towards something more permanent. Here are three of the most important points to keep in mind when investing in properties to sell to the coming wave of millennials looking to own property for the first time:

California is known as a state with heavy regulation. However, it is not one of the states which has a limit on rent increases. Rent control is limited to units constructed prior to 1995 and can only apply to a current tenant.

Older homes are the perfect target for your fix and flip efforts. They often look, at first glance, like they require too much effort for a new homeowner, especially one who needs to move fast; but often, they have strong bones that makes them well worth the investment if you have time to fix them up. If you're considering an older home for your next flip, make sure you're considering these key elements.

One of the questions a new landlord must ask themselves is whether they should include utilities with the rent. There are a number of things to consider:

When you're buying property, especially property you want to fix and flip or fix up and rent out, you want to be sure that you're getting the best deal possible. As you sit down to negotiate before writing up that important contract, there are several points to consider--and it's not just about the final price of the property. All of these details are open to negotiation when you're making a real estate deal.

Buying a house to rent out is a big decision. You want to make sure that you have the right property for your renters: one that will attract high-quality renters who stick with the property, pay their rent on time, and other key details. That doesn't mean, however, that you need to take a walk through every property before you decide to buy--especially if you're buying in a geographic area removed from the one where you live.