Quote from @Ananth Subramanian: First, it's important to take some breaths and relax.

When there is only so much land in an area the county or city tends to relax zoning to allow higher density levels over time.

One of the biggest pros to renting to students is that you'll never get a call on Christmas Eve or other holidays because they are usually not there.

I'd recommend somewhere other than California.As others here have said, buy your nice house, pay down the mortgage, relax. vaya con dios amigo.

Also, FYI, on most holidays Lowes does an .89 square foot install cost. 

I have more pictures of Christmas decorations  but of course some people book months ago for Christmas and Thanksgiving.Since Pogeon Forge is a huge holiday destination we get a couple Christmas pictures up year round.

Knocking out improvements over the holidays, and selling beginning of the year when interest rates drop and home prices increase due to demand.

Tenants, "go into Holiday-mode" and start spending disposable income (and racking up their credit cards) on Thanksgiving feasts & trips, Xmas presents & trips, and finally NYE plans.3) Income Tax Refund checks start being received towards the end of February and corresponding, the rental market starts picking up again as tenants payoff their “Holiday Hangovers".4) Spring Fever starts, sometime in April-May, causing both sales & rental markets to start picking up.

He goes above and beyond, plus the holidays are coming up.

We talked to another guy recently who made nearly six figures installing chrismas/holiday lights.