Avoid any self-help eviction tactics like changing locks.Maintenance: As a landlord, you’re responsible for ensuring the property meets basic health and safety standards, including working plumbing, heating, and electrical systems.Inspections: While there are no mandatory inspections required before renting, your property should comply with building codes.

Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal level Learn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are needed Know everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

To the point where there was very little partnership or strategy alignment, and their advisors were ignoring our request for our 30 minutes in their email responses. 

@Albert Gallucci, the above responses summed it up perfectly.

See responses to your questions below: Correct, California is uniqueTo qualify for REPS you need to meet a number of criteria, including (but STRs that meet IRS criteria generally don't need REPS to leverage tax benefits): More than 50 percent of his/her time working in real property businesses; AND, More than 750 hours of service during the year.

and in response to your question about someone else - also difficult. 

Best bet would be a “partnership” with a monied individual looking for a high risk/high return passive investment with you providing the “active” part.  

Quote from @Nadia Jones: Also posted in Getting Started Forum, but figured multifamily category may also generate some responses...so posting here as well. 

Clearly, they failed in their primary responsibility to you as their layer of due diligence was a mere gossamer like patina.

Several participants made the point in response that the county for a very long time has stood in the way of affordable housing being constructed, first and foremost by zoning, and that an STR ban isn't going to solve the problem.