Great product but can be pricey monthly

Only other advice I have is to try to find a quad, not a duplex, in the nicest neighborhoods you can afford.

Defense contractors gobbling up hundreds of billions of dollars in federal contracts while making civilian aircraft that falls off the skies, because they want to cut corners and squeeze every penny they can out of production?

We have talked about things such as rent by the room and acknowledge that the operating model will likely be very different while living in the property vs. when we move out.I think the point you made about assumable loans is very helpful to get into a property you might not otherwise be able to afford.

I can assure you that the more you learn regarding these products, the easier it is to help all of your clients.

As prices increase, fewer people can afford to buy homes, forcing them to rent.

In addition, some of those fire victims can afford to pay top of market price for homes. 

Paying more to guarantee getting the product versus jumping through hoops (short sale) or possibility of now owning it at all (auction).I'm only asking questions to understand!

When you build enough capital/assets/net worth to afford a reasonable monthly cushion you can see if the lifestyle of a full time investor is something you’d want to pursue.  

About me, most of my assets are RE but in another market so I would be diversifying in that market.Potential for appreciation is very uncertain: prices have risen a lot locally lately and are as high as they have ever been, and it’s unlikely higher prices would be affordable by locals.