I've developed over $100 million in commercial and investment real estate in my career and I've got some unconventional advice you won't hear everyday...if you want to win in an ultra competitive real estate investment market...overpay.  

And much of the new apartment construction has been luxury, which is not a fit for the many mid-market renters.So, at an increasing rate, single-family homes are absorbing the large pool of people who are in the rental market.

That being said the property price will be going soft after 2017 when the market saturated with the new luxury units while these properties are still in development as I speak. 

For example, if I hypothetically package a 30,000 s.f. mansion with a 2/1 fixer upper for an overall sales price of $10M, I doubt the recorder will list the sales price as $5M each. 

I do work slightly more hours than your average Joe (50-65/week), so time is not a huge luxury, but I definitely have spare time.

It can be tough to swap out fixtures while residents are living there, but when a resident moves out, I'd recommend an ultra high-efficiency toilet(the Niagara Stealth at Home Depot uses only .8 gallons per flush, half as much as a standard toilet and about 38% less than what is considered a high-efficiency toilet.)

Took me years of saving and cutting back on a lot of luxuries like not having a cell phones for 5 years and eating peanut butter jelly sandwiches religiously everyday to save on lunch cost.

This will be my first experience and just toying with the luxury of making life easier.

I'm very open to suggestions from the ultra-knowledgable BP community. 

We also send postcards to nearby neighbors.If it's a luxury listing, pay for a spot in a magazine that targets those folks.