This would presenting issues in UW as Owner Occupied.2.)

Short-term rentals would be a solution, but due to strict short-term rental laws in rent-controlled areas of Los Angeles, options like Airbnb are typically not feasible.At present, I have a $5 million property in Encino with two units that we cannot rent out short-term due to rent control regulations, and the numbers don’t work for a long-term rental either.

I would recommend you take on all deferred maintenance before placing a tenant.

I know most people are using 70% X ARV - Repairs but how low should I go below that when presenting offers to say banks for instance.

A good broker should know where a seller's price is, and they can present the offer showing the cost involved.

and the rest of the gain is tax deferred in the 1031.  

A 1031 exchange would allow you to sell the property and use all of that equity and deferred tax from the profit to purchase something that would produce better cash flow from the beginning.

Learn how they work now so when the opportunity presents itself, you're ready and know what is available and how to use them 4.

Maybe BP should validate successful investors and pimp us out to folks willing to pay 5-10k for a lunch and a couple PPT presentations... seems like a much easier way to make money than investing...

So, no viable case can be made against wholesalers  who operate legally in MD at the present time.