As a fellow west coaster, I understand how difficult it can be to find local returns that compare to some of those found in other parts of the country.My favorite part of your whole strategy ... training up your boys and teaching the next generation ... those memories and lessons are worth more than the paint and plywood. 

Traditional lending is too expensive here, so private lending or partnerships may work.

Looks similar where it has huge 'swings' compared to the other times it went down a bit.

@Dean Letfus I would say both markets are pretty comparable in the types of neighborhoods etc...

The assessor looks at comparable sales to come up with the value of your property, they don't actually look at what's been done to it unless there is an addition.

A brokerage is fine if your non-traditional investments will not be overly interactive - such as the occasional note, syndicated deal, crowdfund, etc. 

Disclosure: I'm no expert but I like to brainstormAs you know most traditional lenders are going to want to see at least 2 years of self employment income.

Should we be more aggressive in purchasing SFH for better tax advantages compared to passive MF investing?

Is this from a traditional inspector?

Real estate and stock market investing are not comparable..nor are they alternatives for one set of goals.