Verification - while the homes that we have been testing are all verified, what am I going to do for future listings?

There are other loan options out there besides FHA just as a heads up (5% and 10% down without having to pay the high "costs" associated with FHA loans).Each person has their own take, but if you are going in as an owner occupant I would personally advise trying to find not only a 2-4 unit, but a 2-4 unit with at least one current vacant unit so that everything can be a little bit more straightforward on the purchase.Also, if you do go the FHA route, the 2 unit one might be your sweet spot. 3-4 units have a self sufficiency test that doesn't usually pencil that easily in the Bay Area.

Michael:  I paid $500 bucks for some remodeling plans (yucca valley architect who is quas-retired) and he connected me to engineer/ and Title 24 guy  (new construction also requires soil test engineering and sometimes water flow testing for the water district)but I think 1000-1500 is probably  low end and 3500-5000 is high endI'm working on a hew house in pioneertown and I'm interviewing builders/general contractors (who have plans in their archives that were approved) -many plans approved in 2015 aren't valid.. because of the Title 24 increases every year and the 2016 codeNathan: exciting. yucca NEEDS some new apartments!

Since he is a real estate professional the $25,000 limitation and modified AGI tests do not apply.

I actively invest in short term rentals we took a different approach to it and tested it with our least likely to succeed property and have more than doubled our monthly income.

On a later flip I regret not testing the septic either prior to purchase or very early on.

Don't get me wrong, before this this shift, I started direct mail, I tested bandit signs, I did driving for dollars and some door knocking.

Being an oil dependent city economy, this is a good test on a local level of what can happen.  

@Gilbert Lugo, the old saying that patience is a virtue is truly tested while being a new investor in the REI world. 

But we might also test the market this spring.