I have better luck with posting in the zillow rental section;   rent before you buy, live in a great property while you get yourself ready to finance a great home....Our business model;   protect the buyer or tenant at even our own expense. 

Similar for pets.Especially in the city of San Diego, I would be careful about violating the tenant protection act.

I don't know which nearby state you're considering (PA is probably the most attractive) but local municipalities will sometimes enforce extra red tape and/or protections for tenants beyond the state-norm.

Don't fall for this @Laura Higgs Whole life insurance is designed to leave money to your heirs and is not a funding vehicle for real estate or an "infinite bank" Here is a post with more detail https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/519/topics/1231319-how-smart-investors-use-life-insurance-to-build-and-protect-wealth#post_6978183

Hi Will in Chicago-Congratulations on having a paid off rental with 500K in equity.You are wondering what options may be available to put that equity to work and you are not interested in buying another traditional rental.One suggestion I would offer is to put some of the equity to work by becoming a private money lender partnering with an investor that would split the profits with you on short-term projects.You could turn that money over and over into the next project getting a higher return than the trapped equity and getting a lien position on the project property to protect your downside investing in a fairly passive way.To Your Success!

How we protect our buyers is with the inspection, appraisal and financing contingencies.

My view is there is more protection on a wrap than a sub to and with the right disclosures and underwriting can be an alternative option. 

Whether you’re dealing with non-payment of rent or other lease violations, this resource explains what landlords need to know to remain compliant and protect their investment. 

If the new administration actually enacts their policy stances on tariffs, immigration, trying to ignite the economy even more....all of those things add up to higher inflation.

And guess what, if your using a proxy thinking that will protect from disclosure as an agent, nope, it doesn't, you have to disclose it even then.