I tried to purchase houses for investment but when I saw house prices rapidly increasing like crazy ( I feel artificially ) I felt it wouldn't last and I didn't want to get stuck with an over leveraged property so continued with my remodeling business in Virginia Beach.

You're also artificially narrowing your area to a very limited neighborhood area, which is fine for your primary property, but expect to pay a premium for that privilege.

Rates have been artificially manipulated lower with the Fed's QE1 and QE2 bond buying.

You may refinance to get your money back after but the process will not allow time for conventional lendingThe starting bid is artificially low to spur bidding. virtually every auction will have a reserve price and often houses that dont meet reserve will be put to auction several time before a actual sale.Many of these houses are in default due to money hardships which will also generally mean deferred maintenance and possibly worse. 

We'd like to buy a SFR or duplex to owner occupy there.The issue is that since we can only use 75% of the rents on our current duplex towards income, our DTI looks artificially high.

We collectively have experience with start up companies, architecture, business lending and medicine.  

Do they pay for food, medicine, travel to work, etc.?  

If you're looking to buy on the steps at the trustee sale then they work exactly the same as other trustees with the exception of the posted bid being artificial in most cases.

It certainly will matter going forward as the artificial stimulus goes away.

I’ve seen AB1482, the new brilliantly crafted (read: astonishingly shortsighted) rent control bill here in California but unless I missed it, it doesn’t specify what exactly is being artificially controlled with the legislation?