LESSONS LEARNED: now that i'm much more experienced and paid my dues, i've learned to leverage through equity and partnerships. i know what type of investments i want to do or to avoid. my purchases are mainly based on location, easy access to freeways and conveniences, and good school districts. i know my numbers. i am targeting growth markets that are landlord neutral or friendly. my tenants and guests are my goose eggs and i treat them well and in turn they pay me well ;-)Hopefully, that helps. 

You can ground outlets to the box/BX and a typical three-light outlet tester should show the outlet grounded if it's wired properly (neutral to the large blade, hot wire ("mains") to the other).Wiring doesn't "break", though bad connections can cause issues.

I'm hoping we can just get back to a neutral market at some point in the next 1-2 years. 

It currently is cashflow neutral (if you do not include the assessments we've paid).

I always use neutral colors, re-model the kitchen and bathrooms and upgrade the property without blowing your budget.  

I use the same neutral wall color and white trim -everywhere and chose a higher quality paint so its not typically a full paint job.

A cash flow neutral home in an up and coming area will blow away any $200 a door cashflow home in the Midwest over the long run. 

Here is a detailed answer to that I gave in another post that may be useful...it's an neutral as I can make it:Finding real/good guides or coaches or mentors will normally always increase your chances.  

Rick L. choose neutral colors and products with good reviews.

I've thought about using neutral (e.g., tan) colors, but man I think they're so generic.