That said, expect to deal with a fair amount of fluff leads.The two best strategies I’ve found are inbound methods: direct mail and Google Ads.Direct mail can be expensive, but it can also yield highly discounted properties.Google Ads, on the other hand, doesn’t require data extraction like calls, direct mail, or texting.

Given that the deal is off-market and there might be limited information on pricing, you should compare the property to recent comparable sales in the area (comps) to confirm that the price is fair.

I always play by fair housing laws but not giving me a pick in my tenant is not to my liking!

If insurance approves the claim, I figure having the tenants cover the deductible would be fair. 

I know the state has CA fair plan insurance for high risk properties and I know its cost.  

FB Marketplace is also fairly easy to use, but depending on your location it can be a waste of time.

As you said, they show up, answer questions about the local market, provide useful data when needed, and just are a general value add to the forums.I think it's fair for consumers to take what an agent says about the market with a grain of salt, but over time, their reputation for giving good info without the smarm wins.

I don't think they differentiate the rental type for the writeoffs.I've researched this a fair amount, from what I understand there's an exception section 469 of the tax code that says if you actively manage the str and have an average stay length of 7 days or less then it's treated as an active business and the income is therefore not passive and expenses are able to be written off against W2 income.

I have to ask where you got some of the info in your post because to be fair and accurate if its from a media outlet.  

Hopefully, the landlord and tenants can mutually agree on an early move-out and fair compensation.