I used to sell Salesforce to REITs across the United States and this is what I've learned:For your needs - a CRM with a power dialer and SMS capabilities - there are a few options you might consider:Podio: This is a popular choice in the real estate community, especially for wholesalers.

HELOCs or traditional financing may also be better options to preserve retirement funds while minimizing immediate tax liabilities.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

For some of my homeowners - I provide them with several options 1. 

I think a better option is to get a job in property management.

Quick search "MLS Only Broker California" gives you a couple of options.

I’m going to talk to them today about the complaints that I am getting, but if this pursues, what exactly are my options in this situation? 

Off-market deals are key if you go this route, so networking is huge.Out-of-state investing is another option people love, especially in markets like PA (Philly, Scranton) or even down south where prices are lower, and the landlord-tenant laws are more forgiving.

Real estate is not the end all be all panacea for building wealth, there are a lot of other options many of which will give you way fewer headaches than real estate will!

Once the city gives direction, then start to look at available options and penciling out the numbers to see what makes the most sense.  

But I would remain open to long-term rental as an option as this seems like a more stable option in terms of income, again this may be my inexperience talking.However, I have always  been somewhat risk averse and investing in real estate is always a big venture, in my opinion/experience, in terms of capital.