The couple that did the house hacking not only lost everything they had worked for so hard but what ment the most which was the child had now been broken and the family fell apart.This is a true story they were my neighbors.

My rehab cost crystal ball is broken; I intentionally broke it 20 years ago.

You need to have standard screening criteria and apply it consistently.

California isn't the only State you can invest :) This investment doesn’t meet “The 1% Rule” if you search BP forums (using the magnifying glass feature, top right of your screen) you’ll get a lot of feedback on if this is a good investment or not.

Also, any general advice on finding a well-qualified renter or screening tenants would be appreciated.

Go to BUILD YOUR TEAM at the top of your screen, and you can search for other MEMBERS or LOCAL MEETUPS.

Who screens new tenants? 

In CA, generally, if a tenants dog gets out and attacks a person or pet by way of landlord negligence, like through a broken window or faulty door, then you the landlord could be held liable.

However, minor cosmetic repairs or repairs to personal property cannot be deducted such as paint, replacing broken hardware, fixing leaks or holes, etc.(2) If you have other types of investments (e.g., stocks or mutual funds) that are operating at a loss, if you liquidate those investments to take a loss, you can use those losses to offset your capital gains.

With proper management in place and proper screening you can be successful in all parts.