@Jamie Greenberg  Having moved from SD to the Springs last June, I can tell you the air is much cleaner, traffic is tollerable, and the people are friendlier.

So, like your friend, they end up being the handyman, property manager and cleaner all in one, just to try to stay above water. 

With the lid closed, it looks cleaner, sanitary,  and protects the plumbing--why would a person not close the lid? 

Of course, that doesn't mean they don't get taken to the cleaners occasionally.

My situation:I am currently a college student in my junior year, working part time at a local dry cleaners( I've been working there for 4+ years) and I've had the urge to do something "big" for the past 24 months.

Some tenants prefer to let a professional cleaner handle cleaning their unit at move-out time.

@Stacey Jackson   Lots of real estate investors need house cleaners. 

., you might buy the note in an LLC and then buy the property personally, or use a straw man to do one or the other, not really an arm's length transaction, but it may not be an issue and title would appear to be cleaner.

This is probably one of the cleaner vacant ones regarding the stuff left.

Mix of retirees, working class families (landscaper, salesman, dry cleaner worker, etc.), and some younger higher-income couples w/o kids (age mid-thirties) moving in.I did some research online and found a few relevant data points for the overall city:Median HH income is 55k vs. 68k average in CA.Medium duplex value is 530k (my duplex is one of the nicer ones, thus higher value and much higher rent premium)Median gross rent 1400 monthly per unitDemographics: 65% Hispanic, 15% white, ~10% black, ~10% AsianAverage age 35 years old40% never married, 45% married~40% residents foreign born~80% residents commute by car (makes sense - we are right by a major freeway and no commuter train present day), 20% other modes of transportation