I think commercial RE is going to be the canary in the coalmine for the sector.However, I also am not crazy about getting hammered with capital gains taxes if I don't have anything to 1031 into. 

Good set of cordless impact and hammer drill.

I would probably drill a line of holes across the raised slab with a hammer drill or, better, a rotary hammer, and then smash up the end with a chisel bit on the rotary hammer or an 8 lb. sledge.

They go on to say that if we don't meet and actually provide a signature affirming the condition of the home, that they won't let us show it for the next week as they cannot come back to the home to check the condition after each showing (as if a prospective buyer might take a sledgehammer to the walls??).  

Some people walk very "heavy footed", some people unconsciously tap their foot, pace back and forth, etc....even just dropping the remote control for an xbox can make noise that sound like you are dropping a hammer....the area rugs will help, but, sometimes the downstairs tenant cant handle living underneath, sometimes the upstairs tenant can't manage to not be a naturally(unintentional) noisy neighbor, and other times one of them is just a psycho.Of the hundreds of tenants I have had at that building, I would say most try their best to walk softly and be aware of the neighbors(especially if you have soft way of encouraging that type of empathy), and the ones that are not good at living below people, eventually move.

Then hammer down on finding a specific property.

Gurus, mentors, coaches and RE investors simply play down the risks saying deals are anywhere between risk free to minimal risk, IMO they don't have a clue as they have not been hammered (yet) or if they have the issue must be denied.

My rule of thumb,  don't compete with a new build if you can here hammers!

Knowing you will do this before you purchase will get you deals other investors won't see because they're only running numbers on the property as a SFR, and not two or three units.Even though our west coast states have hammered the rental owner with rent controls ext.. the land use aspect has opened up wide for those with the knowledge and wherewhithal to maximize an existing home with rental in basement and build an ADU, in our town Lake Oswego, you don't even have to pay SDC's if the ADU is used by a family member .. and that's not a small number that's 30k plus savings.so govmit giviths and takiths away out here on the left coast :) 

Even when you do make a profit, people forget the IRS wants their cut too.Also some people don't realize the flip shows are scripted and the flipper only steps on camera to swing the hammer once or puts up the last tile.