This just reinforces the importance of a steady W-2 income during the beginning stages of building your rental portfolio. 

This will help clarify and reinforce what you are reading.

In fact, my sister found her last rental via facebook and it has worked out tremendously; however, I will say, it could be worth considering a still listing via a landlord software tool (1 - 15 units) that helps you to automate your own rental process and can help to get a renter in there fast (ie. compared to other tools, one that helps you to actually build a single listing and syndicates it to 10+ major listing sites, allows you to schedule showings, provides you with super thorough tenant screening options, online digital leases which can be customized and help you by breaking out those fees, automated maintenance tracking, and fast rent collection which also offers your tenants the ability to report their positive on-time payments to the major credit bureaus; just another positive reinforcement/added incentive to get them to make those payments on time).

My choice:Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, RepeatWritten by @David GreeneWhile I haven't even finished the book yet; I'm just about halfway, David does a great job thoroughly explaining the entire BRRRR process, reinforced with his previous investment experience, in a way that would be easy to understand for new investors and experienced ones alike.

That would be my firm recommendation and this is reinforced pretty well with the BRRRR method too. 

I now live in Olympia WA.I had the engineer in on Saturday and he from what he found 3 of the 4 walls need to be excavated and reinforced.

The engineer was able to tell that with some reinforcement and proper bracing, it could all be brought to code without demo

I am of the same mindset and appreciate your comment; reinforced my thinking. 

Here are the following breakdowns from the builder related to site prep and excavation that you were asking about:*House pad clearing and grading: $15,000*Backfill grading: $750*Rough grading: $750*Final Grading: $750 (Excavation total: $17,250)*Footers (4890sf) - $8,973.88*#5 Rebar at footers, dowels, bar ties, bar chairs, poly tape, etc - $3.081.04*Slab concrete 4,000psi with fiber reinforcement - $7,598.45*#57 Stone for drain pipe and slab - $1,505.63*Foundation Drain - $547.48*Concrete ICF Foundation Walls (includes cost of ICF forms, waterproofing, rebar, installation, concrete pump, block, mortar, sand, and concrete - $38,922.28 (This is a more costly, but higher quality type of foundation that is typically done for cabins in our area.

I think becasue it only moves drastically about every 100 to 150 years it just becomes out of site out of mind.. and with new building rules .. they don't devastate like in other areas of the world with non reinforced construction etc.