With a large portfolio (which I don't have) evictions become just another routine expense.CPA fees?

In that sense, some "typical" routines deployed by Mortgage Servicers like mail campaigns and auto-dialer phone calls are not enough to get a borrower to pick their head up.  

CA.. to make deals work I routinely took my commission in the form of a promissory note.

For example, if you are in the rehab business and routinely buy/rehab/flip houses, you would not qualify for 1031 Exchange treatment. 

Make it a habit or routine to educate yourself about real estate.

This may or may not be an obstacle for you.In the meantime, you can get some experience...With summer coming up, see if you can land a job with a property management company or with student housing--even just maintenance or doing routine paperwork. 

I've seen loans hovering around 3-4% most routinely.

We have a routine with the remodels to make the homes easier to maintain.

Marketing and advertising your property: Through long experience, a property manager will know exactly where to market your property and how to craft compelling advertising materials.Finding the right tenants: Experienced property managers are experts at finding good tenants, and will take care of all the details, including the securing all criminal background and security checks, running credit reports, verifying employment, and collecting previous landlord references.Managing tenants: The property manager will handle both routine and emergency maintenance, take care of routine inspections, and manage any situations where conflict resolution is required.Managing vendor relationships: Property management companies have relationships with maintenance workers, tradesmen, contractors, suppliers, and vendors that it's almost impossible for an independent landlord to duplicate.Ensuring that you're in compliance with regulations and property laws: There are a multitude of applicable laws and regulations to abide by when renting and maintaining your rental property.

So, it is becoming more routine to flip one of these.