In fact, locks may be a violation of code because a locked window prevents someone from escaping in case of fire.2.

@Aaron Mazzrillo my claim that California will crash was not pulled out of thin air.

Maybe, just maybe, you can hang around long enough to say no to enough songs, to enough opportunities, you reach the rare air of becoming expert in a certain niche, industry, market and skill.

I'd start with cash for keys but if that didn't work,  seems like it may take 3-4 months to evict a person,    my big question is getting liability insurance on the property.I get that there isn't much I can do preventing the previous owner from trashing the place  (she is 60+ so I doubt she's taking a hammer to the place)   but I do worry that if she or someone else were to get hurt prior to an eviction and sues me.Can you get insurance on a property under these conditions?

Trying to figure out if this is natural settling or we should provide reinforcement to the beam to prevent further settling. 

No one wants to pay higher HOA fees but if the fees are too low then the board will not have sufficient funds for preventative maintenance. 

I'd suggest you weed out the ones that don't fit your end goal and schedule.Rentals and Air bnb seem to be the most common routes for investors in your situation.

I’m actually interested in short term honestly Air bnb arbitrage was highly recommended for me to start off.

As a Cap Rate is indicative of the risk involved in owning the property, you want to focus on doing things that make your investment less risky if a bank ever had to take over.You can make your investment less risky by doing some of the following things:- Convert all month-to-month tenants to annual leases- Implement strict minimum rental criteria- Add security cameras- Make large capital and preventative improvements (fix drainage issues, install water pressure regulators, replace old HVACs...you get the picture)- Essentially, prove with action that you are caring for the property on a long-term basisThe only way this is effective is if you document everything you are doing as well.

Do they have central air?