Once the tenant moves out you are allowed to charge any amount you like.

With that amount of equity and being in CA I think you have a couple decent options1.

Of course no one TODAY knows this.. they just look at 30 to 40k lots 250 to 400k houses and dont really compute the staggering amount of lots available or history of the market going back decades..

I know a good amount of Birmingham investors and I know market is slow right now but I haven't heard that much of a decline in the market.

This amounts to lost opportunity because if you had purchased RE, at the closing it can start producing return. 5) ADUs detract from the existing structure whether this is privacy, a garage, or just yard space. 6) this is related to number 1, but there are many more buyers looking to purchase homes for their family than there are RE investors looking to purchase small unit count properties.

I make a decent amount of money nearly from my W-2 (over 100k) but still not enough to easily buy another property this year especially if I have to put down 20%.

The property is in Cuyahoga county Ohio which I believed was a decent area to start out due to the population and amount of things to do in the general area.

However, they spend a ridiculous amount of time for 1-2 deals a year.

You CAN limit that agreement to a specific property; but, as others have stated, agents are looking for a certain amount of loyalty from their clients.If an agent gets vibes from a prospective client that indicates that they want to cheapskate and not pay a professional for their service, they are not likely to waste their time with them.

Run your numbers based on youre required return given what youre likely to have to spend and the amount of headache, risk, and work you have to do.