We are in a safe community, so tenants can choose to leave the door unlocked or hide a key under the mat.

At that point, it's worth researching and finding a solution that better meets your needs.

Look for safe accounts that pay good interest or dividends to grow your security.

The fear of unknown and the bad potentials, but then sh_t happens and ya remember that we got a choice to lay down and be done in by it or roll-up the sleeves and get to work and be a solution maker. 

@Kash Tacke I'm a big fan of ADU's in general especially here in the mid west, yes you could potentially be on the front of the wave, but housing density is the solution to the affordability issue, anytime you are investing with affordability in mind is a great strategy to me, and sound like there are some incentives or at least supporting winds form the local city, that in itself seems like it would be worth at least approaching an architect or contractor to bid up some plans or concepts to take tot he city.  

You can put a mortgage into a "trust: without triggering a due on sale but again contacting your bank/lender is the best route to avoid any issues.Some banks/lenders or servicing companies change guidelines and even a trust may require other paperwork but the attorney usually facilitates that to be safe.  

Hopefully, everyone stays safe and the firefighters can get a handle on it soon.

Now that you have the correct terminology, you can search for lots of potential solutions. 

Quote from @Jeffrey Mair: Hello, I am seeking advice or creative ideas to move closer to the goal of owning a home in San Diego county without the obvious solution of selling off my small rental portfolio.

It’s a cleaner, more reliable solution, and while the higher subscription cost can feel like a drawback, it’ll save you a lot of headaches and time in the long run.