From my experience of owning and operating 3 STR's in San Antonio, the mid term rentals have been great during the late fall and winter months, but you'll definitely want to take advantage of STR during the late spring/ summer here.

I have tried my best to work and cooperate with them but if you need to share or need more details PM me, I am happy to share my experience with anyone of you guys so we may help each others not to fall for these traps as out of state investors. 

I had a tree fall on one my houses during a rain storm last summer.

I will tell you what you CAN do to avoid falling into this trap.

Everything else will fall into place.

Firstly, the people telling you to go ahead with it will not be there to pick up the pieces if it falls apart or is a daily headache.

It's not just going to fall on someone's lap in times like these.

However, for the rest I am looking for potential solutions to this situation.”Directing the conversation away from the fact that California is very tenant-friendly will cost you a lot of money @David Lamb.Does the property fall under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO)? 

If you're going the umbrella insurance route, perhaps see if it will cover you for several things including just the routine slip and fall (like mold or earthquake).

It can have a positive effect on marketability if done well, and should positively effect the tenants use of the units for the summer/fall months.