He himself was a felon on parole, and his friend who was an addict, he was his cell mate.

Don't rent to family members or friends. 

I admire your spirit and outside-the-box thinking my friend.

For instance, a friend of mine transitioned into the BTR market in Austin, Texas, after noticing consistent rental growth.

My gay friends loved it.

Even though you’re not fond of DSCR loans, it might serve as a bridge to free up your line of credit for quicker flip-and-reno opportunities.I remember years ago, a close friend of mine was in a nearly identical situation.. from what I read in Forbes, he ended up with zero wiggle room each month.

It could’ve just be my personality, but I always felt a little reluctant to be extra friendly if the other side did not reciprocate.

My father and I have formed an LLC with another friend to start buying some rentals.

I think my next moves may be an out of state duplex and/or a local flip with a realtor friend of mine who has some experience doing it.

Best decision I've ever made. 4-6% average annual appreciation rate, stable job growth, population growth, drivable to the Bay Area, close to Lake Tahoe, no state income tax, 4th lowest property taxes in the Nation, much more landlord friendly than CA, land constrained meaning limited supply, etc.