I'd love to become an active member in the community not only in person but also throughout the forums.Don't be shy and say hello... it's good to be here. 

With inventory slightly decreasing in November, do you anticipate increased competition heading into the new year, or are higher mortgage rates keeping activity balanced?

Why buy something that is new with active and confirmed contamination underneath it.

I had thought about just doing LTR but maybe yeah I want to be more active in managing them myself, taking more risk, and go for the STR/MTR. 

From there, it's normal DTI/Credit/Cash assessment for the new loan to determine whether you can afford the loan. 

Inventory has held steady at around 5-6 months for some time now, with roughly 4% more active listings on the market in the metro now compared to November last year.

Often when buying properties you will be looking at and assessing a number of properties before making an offer.

you will need to look at the APN of the property and line it up with what you actaully bought. as mentioned the tax assessed value is not an indicator of value. the land could be a utility easement, used for stormwater management etc.

Landlords can also evict tenants for illegal activity with a seven-day notice.

Although you plan on having your mother live in the home to start you'll want to assess the home using the current rental rates and values in the area.