Few things to consider: It's a tough market now with interest rates, especially here.

Believe me, it was tough to narrow down the cities for this year.

I'm with you in that I also keep a limited amount in cash because I have lots of assets I could tap if I had to - HELOC, brokerage, etc.I just think new investors are having a really, really tough time buying properties that cash flow right now.   

It wasn't always smooth sailing – I've learned a lot from my mistakes and am happy to share those learnings to help others avoid them.Feel free to ask me anything about structuring subcontractor relationships, ordering materials, or keeping budgets on track.

I'm sure you've though of that in retrospect, but if you have a savvy and creative agent, beating cash offers isn't that tough. 

It's helpful to know that downtown might be a tough spot for investment properties right now, while the suburbs seem to offer more opportunities.

The colors & housing-materials that you described above are a "sign of the times". 

We really can't tell you anything based on the information offered, it depends on local laws, costs, rents, materials, permits, etc.....

They haven't been a maintenance issue other than the glass shades once getting broken which I was able to replace with used shades from a used construction material store like Habitat for Humanity.

Unless the land had such a signifacant value like over $500K you might find a private lender to put a junior lien against it if you own it "free and clear".I have seen some private lenders offer a higher LTV even 100% if the collateral is sufficient, but again land is tough to resell unless its commerically zoned in a great location.