You can only play games for so long.Chances are your next door neighbor is an IRS agent and turns you in when your tenants blocks their drive or some other random event disturbing your IRS neighbor.ADU catches fire and your insurance won't cover you, because it was an illegal and unpermitted structure.The city inspector told the last guy not to build or rent it, and is now pissed and wants to make an example of you and just red tags the whole property and no one can occupy for the next 1-2-3 years while you wait for a hearing.Then when you get the hearing, "staff" recommends you tear the whole structure down, and if you still want an ADU, you can apply for a permit and rebuild it.Your tenant quits paying rent and won't move out and you can't evict them, because there is no valid lease and they're just your "roommate".Probably a dozen other bad things can happen to you when you do stuff like this. 

Driving around the neighborhood over time, I saw the same van at a few other houses.

The next thing I would do is drive a few prospective areas that I might want to invest in later.

It is possible, but you have to put in the work; driving for dollars, mailer campaigns, cold calling, building lists, etc.  

Will use our 4 wheel drive tractor to pull between the tree rows.

And if construction doesn't start up soon and return to precovid growth, you're going to see a nice gap that helps drive occupancies even a little further up until it does. 

There are so many moving parts (variables) it will drive you crazy. 

Drive for dollars in all of the multifamily areas, especially closest to you.

As far as investing out of state goes, I would pick something you can drive to in 4 hrs or less.

(I mean Special Financing Company)...Since REI Hame Changers has chosen to associate themselves with such a s***** business, I would never touch them with a 10-ft pole...On Monday , January 6, 2025, I am going to open up a huge can of whup *** on these people...First I will file fraud charges at my bank to stop any further payments .Then I will personally drive to Missouri if I have to to get my money back.They ( REI and special financing company)will then be charged for everything to do with that trip-Plus I will sue them for the substantial lost wages because I have to deal with this-!!