It has been my path to financial independence, but I mostly am not looking in San Diego currently and I get many off market offerings daily (so even below retail the hold is cash negative).  

Craig Curelop's "House Hacking Strategy" and Brandon Turner's "The Multifamily Millionaire" offer strategies for owner-occupied investments.Good luck!

I know nothing about the above firm you mention, but a quick look on their website shows they are likely offering you DSCR, so just general things to look out for in that world. 

Most serious and qualified tenants are searching on the major 3rd party platforms you mentioned + realtor.com, redfin, and a few others.Apartments.com & homes.com are owned by the same company and may offer some additional marketing options.Another strategy to consider here is social media - video marketing.

Again they only signed the one year lease back in 2017 and have opted to keep month to month after offering a lease at each of the two rent increase intervals. 

I really appreciate the offer and I am sure I will have plenty of questions in the near future. 

If money’s the issue (which is highly likely), you could offer to cover the advertising costs upfront, if possible,  and adjust their commission by that amount.

You have to analyze a bunch, so when the right one does pop up you'll be confident in making an offer. 6.

These properties offer incredible potential, but I’d love to learn from other investor experiences to better guide my clients and partners.

Keep in mind the brokerage that just offers low desk fees and a nice office doesn't have a direct correlation to the training you will receive and value you will get for the cap you are paying.