This is my pre-retirement preparation.

Hundreds of hours spent listening to podcasts and reading books on and off during that time kept the dream alive and prepared me to take the leap when an opportunity came up.I had received my real estate license about a year earlier to make some extra money but we were hitting a point in our debt and near future expenses that I knew I had to step out and make something happen.

There's a lot of creative ways to build equity and or cash flow in Sacramento.

Any tips on marketing or preparing a property near a military base for this kind of rental?

GC's are all very well prepared in contracts now post covid, so there will be job stops when there isn't $ to cover those job cost runs. 

If the home is occupied, there's usually 1 group showing scheduled, so you'll want to come prepared with your comps and ARV. 

Just be prepared for potential vacancies.My advice is to build relationships with university housing offices.

Be creative on your purchase and get money back at closing to cover the reserves.

@Andrew Grimmett If a seller is hesitant due to capital gains taxes, consider creative solutions: suggest an installment sale (seller financing) to spread tax liability over time, a 1031 exchange to defer taxes by reinvesting in another property, or a structured sale for flexible deferred payments.

If you want the "best" rate, be prepared to pay for it.