High leverage enables rapid growth, no leverage is safe and enables peaceful sleep.

It always makes me cringe when I have a brand new (zero properties) "real estate investor" on the phone explaining to me how they "underwrite deals"..Be authentic people, everyone can see through it. 

I definitely think section 8 is a safe bet.

The townhouse is located near by Kennesaw State University, in a nice and safe neighborhood, not too far from downtown (about 30-45mins), with easy access to I75 (huge deal for Atlanta, especially if you work in downtown). 

It seems safe to say the properties with lengthy periods of tax non-payment are most likely to be houses the high bidder could foreclose upon.  

All are in my single member LLCs, so they pass directly through to my 1040 ... so I have a lot of schedule Es, 6252s & a ton of "Section 1.263(a)-1(f) de minimis safe harbor election" statements. 

Beyond that, you're on your own unless you take the initiative to have someone help you and perhaps split the Assignments fee 50/50.Is it safe to say you would have felt better about things if it was "One on one" and they helped you close the deals?  

One hypothesis I have is that this is a very safe residential area in Oakland where a lot of people say it's a place they want to grow family in.

The key is to buy a “good” property at a “good” price; if it can be financed with maximum leverage SAFELY, so much the better.  

Let me know man and stay safe with this incoming hurricane.