Furnished rentals work well in studios especially and can net substantially higher rent than a long term lessee (the hotel room effect).Would target key tech areas to get all the interns and other busy spots near downtown / Santana Row.

Allure studio sub 2oo K. 

I have a prospective client in Sunnyside who hired his handywoman to convert an existing garage to a loft-style studio with a composting toilet.

This audio book was amazing. 

As far as the negotiations, it sounds like you are taking a good approach, I just finished the audio version of "Never Split the Difference: Negotiate as if your life depended on it" by Chris Voss.

I have been considering turning  into a 1/1 or studio with a small bathroom.

Sadly, living in Manhattan and California all my early working years and through my 20's (ridiculous rents and millennial lifestyle...) has left me with little opportunity to save, let alone save anything remotely close enough to a downpayment in areas where studios and 1 bdrms start at well over half a million dollars...This being said, I'm very interested in learning as much as I can about real estate (especially on the smaller scale - such as SFH and perhaps duplexes...).

The two studios are already rented out, one until January 1st and the other month to month.

I will say most developers today in the LA urban markets are building for millennials, which suggests more studios and one bedroom units.

I am looking to install a surveillance system for the perimeter of the home that will have audio recording.