Started out being 2 units enlarged to one bigger place.

That enlarges your entire pool of potential buyers. 

One technique for finding deals that intrigues me is looking up NODs (Notices of Default) in the public records and then reaching out to the property owners (probably via postal mail) to see if they are interested in selling.It seems like there's a decent chance to find a highly motivated seller and perhaps a very good deal using this method.I am wondering if anyone in the forums has used (or attempted) this technique, and if so, what sort of results you've seen.

You've networked with the right people and learned some advanced techniques for investing in real estate in one of the hottest markets in the country.   

I would love to hear about everyones most creative techniques behind the purchase of their personal multifamily properties.

Lastly what you will see is that civilization has come out to these places when you drive by and see some desert rat in his or her Mobile home stuck in the middle of no where that 95% of the time is on one of these old platted lots.. some areas Like some of the Lake co California areas town actually grew to them sewer and water and paved streets put in and houses builtBut for instance above Lucerne there are 7 thousand platted lots and I think 3 homes.. lots are 5 to 7k sq feet.. it was uncanny how they surveyed and platted them way back when .. this terrain is quite step but the road follow correct grades although some lots even with today techniques would be near impossible to build on.. 

Sure hope I can study and put the techniques to work to become successful in the real estate world.

But what other techniques are you utilizing to ensure that you can weather a vacancy storm in your market, especially if you don't have a large portfolio to carry a few vacancies?

I have a brrrr i am current in the rehab stage on and need some advice.The house is on paper a 3bd 1 ba row home. in an area where within the 2 neighboring streets all of the home layouts are exactly the same. nice solid brick construction row homes of same size and layouts.heres my problem... one of the bedrooms and the only bathroom extremely small. a I am seriously considering enlarging the bathroom into the small bedroom to have a normalish size bathroom and a hall closet in exchange for the tiny bedroom.The tiny bedroom is so small that the township considers these houses 2 bd units and therefore only allows 4 people to occupy them but when the home values are appraised they are appraised as 3bd homes.

As your portfolio expands you can focus on areas that play upon each technique, or find a region that supports a bit of both.Remember that cash flow creates passive income and comfort, and appreciation creates wealth.