I punched a hole in the soft drywall and found a very small amount of mold. 

However, there is a soft black material that has been glued to the cement floors and getting it up is proving to be a total nightmare.  

If you were not comfortable with the seller you could have an escrow agent hold the funds but it’s not common.The process goes like this: you make an indicative offer; if accepted the seller provided the soft collateral package and you run title report and confirm property value.

The seller's second would have to be very soft.

Anything anchored almost always ends up being damaged by a tenant, towel bars, wall mounted make up mirrors, curved shower rods etc...Bullet proofing rental properties is a big concern for us to create quite painless tenants, so adding anything with the potential to become an issue is heavily weighed via it's pros and cons. 

Most of the new homes I'm seeing are two-story, 3 and four bedroom, 2 to 3 bath with usually one half-bath on the main floor, full basements, 2 car attached garages.The market for more modest homes seems a bit slow due to the on-going employment and lending issues in the area.Rentals seem to not be empty very long at all, certainly, presumably for similar reasons: employment is soft and lending is a bit dear.Hoping you'll share your experiences.

Offer family type stuff to attract families, offer coffee in the kitchen, beach towels, and anything that can set you apart from other listings. 

CA is traditionally soft Oct-March anyway and the midterm election uncertainty just ads to that softness.

Install an elongated toilet with soft close lid.

Always Be Closing" “Speak softly, and carry a big portfolio!”