Quote from @Stephen Smith: Separately, a local roofing contractor was recently caught installing shingles on a BTC property in Cape Coral.  

My local cable, internet, cell and utility companies are already using it to field calls and answer questions online and phone.

That is a great place to start, as well as hitting some local real estate investor meetups so you can meet some other house hackers in person who have done what you want to do.

Investing locally in the Bay Area will come with higher acquisition costs, but appreciation can still build wealth long term, so don't be weary if you're property doesn't cash flow right now the bat.

This is typically the slowest time of year for tenant placement, at least in our local market.

Only five of the qualifying 25 local cities saw a population decrease, topped by Bee Cave (-2.7%).

However, most of my tenants are locals who have lived here their whole lives.

We took the reverse action and started lowering asking rents until they moved.I suspect the reason that one property of yours turned quickly is because your asking rent was very favorable vs. local competition. 

I would say high-quality bedding, cozy outdoor spaces with firepits or seating, and thoughtful touches like local coffee bar setups.

These malls took out Mom/Pop local stores.