Real estate investing can be a great idea for several reasons:Potential for Appreciation: Over time, properties often increase in value, allowing investors to build wealth through appreciation.Passive Income: Rental properties can provide a steady stream of passive income, helping to cover expenses and generate cash flow.Tax Benefits: Real estate investors may benefit from various tax deductions, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, and depreciation.Inflation Hedge: Real estate tends to keep pace with or outpace inflation, making it a good hedge against rising costs.Leverage Opportunities: Investors can use financing to purchase properties, allowing them to control larger assets with less capital upfront.Portfolio Diversification: Real estate adds diversification to an investment portfolio, potentially reducing overall risk.Tangible Asset: Unlike stocks or bonds, real estate is a physical asset that you can see and manage, providing a sense of security.Control Over Investment: Investors can influence property value and income through renovations, management decisions, and property improvements.Building Equity: As you pay down a mortgage, you build equity in the property, which can be accessed later through refinancing or selling.Community Impact: Investing in real estate can contribute to community development and improvement, positively impacting neighborhoods.These factors make real estate investing an appealing option for many people looking to grow their wealth and secure their financial future.It really comes down to investing in a growing market, in a good neighborhood & building a great team to support you.

But my background and experience is in Business Development, and Marketing Strategy in close integration with sales, so I figure I at least have some transferable skills that'll allow me to make the most out of property as an asset class.

I get builders risk policies for all my new builds and at least in the markets I built in Charleston SC  and Portland Oregon have never seen the fence and security and like you I would have trusted my broker to mention something like that.. fence and 24 hour security is just not something you do on ONE SFR rehab.. unless its a known high crime area like South side of chicago and now inner city Portland you really need the fencing etc other wise the homeless and druggies will walk off with everything.. when did a bunch of rehab loans in South Jackson MS same thing theft was off the charts and we had houses burn down .. but the dollars were much smaller.I know I have gotten larger policies for my bigger developments and I did pay my lawyer to go through them line by line and at the end of the day they really cant say what is or is not covered.Also you simply would not think of anything in Colusa county as being high crime .

Are you able to give any area specific advice to a prospective landlord?

They want to know your plans on how to develop and revitalize the property.

In almost all cases when there is one road leading to four homes and there is no development or shared amenities, one owner can not dictate what happens on the road or put up a gate.

For the better part of two decades I've been involved in real estate in some capacity including but not limited to: mortgage & real estate broker, developer, project manager, STR owner/operator/manager, international investor and beyond. 

Additionally, I have received feedback from one prospective buyer that they don't love that it is a 1.5 car garage and not a 2. 

With that being said, I am looking for some insight and help in developing my budget and plan for this project.

I believe in the power of networking and collaboration, which is why I am eager to connect with fellow members here on BiggerPockets.In addition to my work in real estate, I am committed to continuous learning and professional development.