More owner occupants can be a good sign as they are heavily invested in the quality of life and daily affairs, but I have had great long term renters in condos, too. 

We are all from different places and it never hurts to share best practices with each other just to see how we could improve in our daily operations.I know you don't have to do this but I truly appreciate it. 

Read on a daily basis in your targeted niche.

How they hire out and typically what is being paid for daily/hourly .. weekly projects on rehabs, punchlist, make readies, turnaround...

Subscribe to all business publication, The Daily Record and The Business Journal. 

I would scour the newspaper classifieds right in the store and make daily calls to the possible sellers that listed their homes along with calls to any mtg company in the yellowpages that mentioned private or hard money.

I admire the folks who can do the battles daily, but think I am able to help society more overall in my current role providing housing for a few people long term (not just delaying the inevitable) and also educating others...

I'm reading the UBG currently and listening to the BP podcast daily.  

I think the umbrella is a relative bargain (and as you note probably lower risk for insurer as the underlying coverage may handle many claims) for the price (I use  RLI, and maybe your solution is as simple as a lower cost provider)...In my very short time seeing inside of insurance defense, I would see the guys that worked for the major insurers (who fought claims on a daily basis) up their own policies, so that was enough for me..  

I've been reading several real-estate books over the last eight months (8-10) and have been looking at houses on the MLS almost daily.