There are obstacles to navigate and those can also be overcome.

Do that with several lenders and decide who you want to work with.I've never met a lender that was negotiable with a new customer.

While the barrier to enter is higher, and you do have to navigate the tenant laws, there is nothing better than long term appreciation in CA.

Can I get some advice on military friendly lenders with low down payment for purchasing rental property without using the VA loan or in general, how to navigate this to start my rental property real estate journey?

I dont have the knowledge necessary to navigate the historic ordinances and rules there, so I've never done what youre about to do.  

I want to get involved in the plans for the future, the financial goals of the owner, protecting the longevity and condition of the properties, maximizing income potential while also treating tenants like paying customers with fairness, care and respect.

And the agreement with the customer was $100 a ton to dispose of the junk . 

Since I've been told the insurance market is really tough right now in California with most of the big companies (Nationwide, Allstate, State Farm)  not writing new policies to new customers, I'm trying to do a change of broker to a different Safeco agent.

We have renovated the house we live in, and we put way more into it than we should have, because we didn't think we would house-hack it, and we made it customized to us. 

Navigating rental assistance seems to be tricky thing, so would love to learn how it ends up.