There are lots of things that can go wrong for which you should have reserves.

I have read the city’s guide https://www.slcdocs.com/Planning/Guides/ADU_handbook.pdf but I still have questions.1. can tell that till require the owner to live there for the ADU. 1a is it for permanent residency or is it justified if it is a second home that I would use occasionally?

Yes I think estimating 5% would be a good start and then once you know the school district you can get a better idea of what to expect.

For LA, I think you want to get the max bedrooms that you can given the space because the rents are going to be pretty juicy if done right.

I do not know if you can change the locks.

Get on every wholesaler's list in the area so you can go see all of the properties and learn.

So it can be a bit of the wild west.

You can still find some events on RHAWA website and meetup.com but it's a lot smaller number.As for getting started, remember it's possible to be successful with many different strategies.

Many things like electrical can often be upgraded.

Can her status and credit be of help as well?