I'd just like to add that you will want to check out the environmental laws and regulations associated with those businesses.

No federal disclosures from a landlord whose job is to combat environmental concerns and toxic hazards.

The greater issue is, I do not want anyone to use cheap paint that is either environmentally unsafe, or does not last or is not as easy to wipe clean.In the end, he agreed to repaint the whole house at his cost when he end his tenancy and I insisted that he uses only the paint that I specified. 

I have yet to see a Environmental minded  improvement that wasn't either initially cost prohibitive or the pay back time line was unrealistic.I am a senior citizen and although I accept climate change is real and the cause is obvious I am not deluded into thinking a band aid on the symptoms is of any value.

@Kay M.Make sure to get all of the correct environmental reports; starting with a phase 1.

So hear me out - I have a background in Environmental Engineering and sustainable urban development and looking for feedback on turning that into an asset for real estate investing.

Tax buying varies buy state and process and interest rate and many other things have variables.Just like anything else there is competition.There are plenty of properties you DO NOT want to buy tax liens on.These are properties in a bad area where over a years time when you redeem could be worth less than the value of what you are foreclosing on.The counties and cities just want money and will sell you a tax lien on anything even if it's a drainage ditch with no value.You have to watch out for environmental and a host of other issues including taxes that were bought before yours.You can do well but just like anything else you have to research it and be smart about it.

Ad to this the lack rental restrictions, environmental restrictions, land lord friendly eviction laws, and you get a market favorable to rentals and investment.I agree that we should not be seeing appreciation rates over 20% like we had in the past but for a city of 2 million we only have roughly 4,000 houses on the MLS market and have 4,700 under contract this month so less than 3 weeks supply of listings.  

can you see where Columbus is heading...my primary doubled in value in 3-years...it will double again in the next 5...same story with my investment properties...you won't be able to buy a home in Columbus for under $600k in 15-years...every structure in this city is valued at 40-50% of value...coastal Cali is beautiful, but the combination of the environmental factors and natural disasters and decreasing rate of affordability mean you're about capped...so, you become a city of working class poor that sell their soul to the devil to afford rent in shared apartment and a bunch of affluent self-centered a$$holes in McMansions...sounds awesome.

The model that is preferred here is to not own the homes but instead the land under the homes only.5) a phase 1 environmental survey.The other steps can mostly be done by some legwork and asking the right people but this one will cost you money.