I was able to refinance it after aggregating the group together when they were all on year leases and it was a stable household of solo professionals.

My residence does have an HOA and allows for rentals, but not sure if multiple tenants per household will fly?

I have solid credit (780+) but little cash, mediocre W2 income and high household expenses due to some high expensive circumstances that have come into my family’s life.

What is the monthly household income?

Max Householder That Warren Buffett guy really knows his stuff.

The critical provision is: The Jim Brooks Act would require landlords to submit copies of all rent-increase and eviction notices to the city within 48 hoursafter the notices are delivered to a tenant household.

It fit our household and lifestyle well, I was busting butt at a new job and did not want to spend the time to find another rental.   

Yes, nothing is guaranteed but we  I was thinking that an IO allows me to buy a bigger house, hold it for 5-8 years and use the appreciation profit for the next house on a standard 30 fixed.  

But you might find that a different reason 'could' lead you to the same result / conclusion.You're a ways off from this point, however - 'regular' financing terms are typically offered for homeowners on primary residence(s) and if you lock in these terms, most banks have guidelines for a maximum number of these loans they will underwrite to a single borrower (8-10 per person/household) - within this very favorable world of long term fixed (and low rate) financing. 

The tar on the walls was so thick you could see where every picture had been hung in the household.