But it sounds like you will be giving up appreciation (which is honestly, the icing on the cake). 

I'm hoping it's possible to have my cake and eat it too, so curious to see if anyone else has attempted something similar before.I'm a Los Angeles native working in tech with a pretty good income.

Still lots of room for opportunity and we are building custom projects all over the city and lots/land are selling like hot cakes in those areas!

Same with door knocking - I’m not sure when the change happened but life went from grandma always having a cake in her fridge for unexpected guests to hearing a knock at the door and contemplating if they will see me trying to hide behind the couch.If it is one thing I’ve learned in the last 3 years - 9 times out of 10, my clients will know about a new home before I do.

I'd like to have my cake and eat it too, but I'm not sure if I can make this work. 

I have a few others I cycle through for specific tasks, but Wynn takes the cake in all around excellence!

It's their way of "having their cake and eating it too" as the old saying goes - they hook up their relatives/buddies with locked-in short rent for a couple of years while they reap the windfall of the sale. 

My personal belief (one I'm working diligently to prove) is that much thanks to REI, the best of both words is actually very much possible and that with hard work and good planning one can actually "have their cake and eat it too". ;) 

Any appreciation or other benefits are just cream on the cake for me.

The tax benefits alone are worth it- the appreciation and cash flow are the icing on the cake.