It's important to be truthful and not prey on a distressed homeowner if they are ignorant. 

That means the owner is skirting (ignoring) the zoning and renting 3 units while only 2 are permitted.

I learned how to focus on getting the job done and because I wasn't a threat to the end client's W-2 employees (I could never get promoted to the corner office), I could get away with ignoring office politics.

Unfortunate, but not a surprise.The more ignorant laws the stupid politicians pass in CA and a few other states, the better it is for those of us operating in relatively business friendly states as jobs and residents continue to flee those anti-business locations.

Newbie here so please excuse the ignorance. 

There is a lot of ignorance when it comes to ground rents, so yes it could affect your ability to refinance. 

From a selfish point of view I teach people the hard truth about real estate. i don't want to compete against newbies that don't understand the risks they are taking, and the hidden cost they are ignoring. 

I have ignored them for some time, but any deal is a good deal at a certain price - it just means staying conservative on underwriting.What do people in barely stable/declining markets use as underwriting rules of thumb?

Gosh, I feel totally vulnerable and ignorant now.

Forgive me if this is an ignorant question, I'm trying to find a creative solution to begin our journey.