We financed the purchase using a combination of cash and a hard money loan.

But the answer for everyone may differ.Here are the personal attributes I see in those able to achieve a higher than market ROI, enough higher to be able to “scale”.1- Knowledge of real estate principles, real estate law and real estate finance2- Minimum 3 -5 years full time, or near full time experience directly related to real estate investing3- Ability to utilize technology for increased efficiency, capacity, and accuracy4- Excellent hired legal counsel and excellent hired marketing help5- Established method(s) of obtaining consistently high QUALITY deal flow6- Ability to manage and choose people who are NOT employees: Attorneys, Appraisers, Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate Brokers, Title Companies, Surveyors, Marketing Specialists, Accountants, Contractors, Consultants, Property Managers7- A VERIFIABLE track record of success8- Ability to identify, analyze, and negotiate a deal that can be “worked” for “enhanced” ROI9- Some type of competitive advantage; for example for me it’s my ability to analyze and identify mortgage loans that are actually less risky than all other lenders believe (on the investing in debt side), and on the real property side it’s my ability to analyze”pull the trigger” with LESS information than other investors need,  combined with the ability to pay cash, or raise significant capital almost instantly as well as being able to obtain loans at the lowest prime customer bank rate with no recourse or personal liability.  

I have 29 of them and rarely have any turnovers which are a pain and eat up profits.

It’s still a worthy strategy to force cash flow that’s rare to find in SoCal, especially if you can reduce the cost of construction by doing a conversion/using an ADU grant or even buying a property with an existing ADU In general, even if the ADU valuation matches your cost including grants, they are usually not worth it in southern CA in single family zones. 

What you have is a few guys that have way over 100 years combined experience with investors and investor deals and we know what it looks like when investors are at very high risk of taking a 100% loss..

With actual cash, you just transfer it. yes, but you can still bid with lender approval - without appraisal contingency - you send in deal (app), it gets approved by lender its functionally the same as cash (except in true lightning speed situations where there is a quick auction with little time to prep but thats generally pretty rare I'd think)Right, but that's not cash or functionally the same as cash because the lender can change the terms at the last minute, as often happens with less experienced hard money lenders.

Now that last one "to transfer" seems to be rarely considered.

These days I am rarely needed.

It’s s about knowing how to position yourself in markets where demand remains resilient, even when global STR margins are tightening.So yes, I completely agree that the game has changed, but for those willing to tackle the hard stuff in overlooked international markets with large American populations, the opportunity to combine cash flow with long-term appreciation is very much alive.

The combination of multiple income streams (motel rooms and RV spaces) and its location near outdoor recreation and a nearby urban center makes it an intriguing deal.I have experience as a broker working on RV park and mobile home park (MHP) transactions, and I’m currently working on deals in this space.