So far i've received referrals for Cresset and Origin Investments but both are longer term developments with minimal cashflow for 4-5 years.

But yes, you're right, the difference between the inexpensive freelancers and larger SEO companies is quite minimal, at least in the beginning. 

When something goes wrong, you can find the best contractor for the job, who can make the repairs right away, and now your tenants are happy, and you have minimized the time you would have spent speaking to your tenants about the delay or fighting a warranty company.

These more favorable regulations include a 5% transient occupancy tax, no limit on number of days rented, occupant limits based on home size (typically 2 occupants per bedroom plus 4 occupants), minimal permit & licensing fees, and no minimum required stay by the owner.

I cannot overstate the importance of finding a way to build a good rapport with your tenants as early on in the acquisition process as possible, as it will minimize or prevent countless headaches further down the road.When I took over my duplex with an inherited resident in one of the units, I had this conversation with the tenant prior to closing and found out that the toilet in their bathroom was clogging once or twice a week, and their shower head water pressure was super weak. 

Sometimes it's minimal and other times it's blatantly obvious that she isn't getting the respect she deserves just because she's a young female doing business in a male dominated industry.It's very easy for us to say it doesn't exist when we have absolutely zero knowledge of what it's really like to be in their shoes.

We live in California and the income does not allow for many deductions (no deductions for kids, no education deductions, minimal interest on mortgage, etc.).

For my first investment property, I prioritized minimizing risk and treating it as a valuable learning experience.

Those are all fixer-uppers and people are using hard money to minimize cash out-of-pocket.FWIW, cap rate is an irrelevant metric for single family, which uses comps to determine value. 

Unfortunately, most of the time this happens, the tenants have spent the rent money already and they end up moving:(Just some of the challenges of investing in gentrifying, Class C areas and why proper management is so important to minimize these challenges.