I am with you my friend, the lower level rental marketplace is just not efficient, you get a golden goose here and there, but on a global level, you cannot scale effectively, too much baggage to deal with, resulting in very low returns and very high tenant turnover = loss

Another variation of the golden opportunity still exists, even if there is a Medi-cal lien that appears to be more than the value of the property.

Do them all within 2 weeks and you should be golden. 

An example in California is the Golden State Builders Exchange.

Take quality pics, preferably at the golden hour, showcasing as much of the home as you possibly can. 

Any noob listening would have concluded this is a golden opp with zero pitfalls...what could possibly go wrong as all I need to do to set my freedom number and I am set for life.

Plus, if you plan to cash flow even if you have to get a tenant, you should be golden!

Here is my story and experience:I started with Susie Orman mentality - cut your credit card 💳, contribute to retirement account and blah blah blah.Very quickly I realized that I don't want to wait for ever to be able to "enjoy" my golden years.Today I still contribute to 401K as little as needed to get maximum employer's matching.

.  "… he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms.

Even though at $2100 I’m breaking the golden 1% rule on monthly roi, my strategy on the investment is to let the house appreciate for the next five years (avg 2% annual increase).