I'm originally from Fresno CA and Costa Mesa, CA.

@Raymond Hill It will cost a lot more to put up the vinyl siding but then it should hold color and hold up to weather well.

Trying to patch and splice to make it look original could cost a ton of money, and this house has a fixed up value of 150k..

Its a good program and doesn't cost a fortune.  

That must cost a pretty penny...

You may get 80%, but it will cost in loan terms.To show the issue, let’s use the appraisal provides 50% of your cost as the value to the ADU.  

I don't think you will need a bookkeeper with only 1 property you should be able to manage keeping track of expenses on your own to start, this will help you save the cost as well as help you better understand how to do this not.

@Vamshi Ananth,$1k is fine in rural/outlying California (example: VA deal currently in escrow in Dixon where I set it up so the VA home-buyer is making money by getting a VA loan - that he's using to pay down his car loan muahahaha), 3% in hot urban markets (examples: Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa, & SF counties), but it's a convention and not a rule.

Hey Tai, As many mentioned, common area (exterior of the property) would be fine to add cameras but inside the home does violate privacy so if you must, it may be best to potentially raise the stay cost a little per day to buffer for the damage costs. 

I learned that agents can be amazing to help find deals and can help you learn (be sure to get them paid if they're good), and a great contractor can make a big difference, even if they cost a little more than the other guys.