During the worst of the crash I almost bought a brownstone rental in st Paul but decided MN was too anti rental owner and didn't want to risk a negative CF for a few years if my assumptions were too optimistic.

NJ Anti-Eviction is pretty stout, basically once a tenant is in you must give him a new lease if he wants one.

All traps should have had anti-freeze poured in (that's sinks, tubs, shower pans, toilet bowls).

Our lovely "anti-eviction statute".

There seems to be a lot of anti-gentrification and anti-development sentiment which concerns me a little.

You'll want to google Nj anti eviction act to see the various reasons someones tenancy can be terminated and the required notice periods.Your best bet is if tenant leaves voluntarily at end of lease and hence no notice required on your side.  

. - Dallas, Memphis, etc. while CA is losing jobs/anti-landlord/etc.) that will help with tenant and income stability.

Especially when after a pretty short time I can be sending a couple hundred a month to pay down the principal elsewhere.I'm totally anti HOA for properties I live in.

If it's hot water instead of electric, then the whole system will need to be flushed and re-filled with anti-freeze.

They just passed what I consider to be a very anti-investor ordinance that has a lot of difficult rules around crime-free housing.