The payoff comes when you artificially raise the market and sell it off.

we are in the Southern California área and thinking in putting either artificial turf or natural sod grass( the one is already grown) in the frontyard , it’s arpund 312 sf and estimates are like 440 dlls natural sod grass and 3400 dlls artificial turf with 0% financing options ( about 258 dlls monthly payments for a year)... some advise based on your experience(how about children’s, pets , maintenance, water bills, heat etc) and info you would know also... thanks blessings!!

., and @Russell Brazil, or @Chris Mason, or @Steve Babiak, or any number of other super intelligent and seasoned members of BP have already answered my questions.

I did not enter the house before I bid, but I did case the exterior thoroughly and I also had additional intelligence on the place.It doesn't matter if the tenant forges the lease or actually has one.

Leveraging intelligently can often accelerate and exponentially grow a portfolio, so yes having the right financing is key. 

If you’re familiar with SF apts it’s a prime example of what happens when you get rent control - crappy buildings/obsolete units and insane market rents that are artificially inflated by rent control.The thing to watch out for if you own commercial deals (5+ unit apts too), is on the 2020 ballot they’re going to have a vote to separate prop 13 so commercial deals are no longer protected.

Whenever there is an annual cap for a rent increase, the intelligent response from landlords is to always raise the rent by the maximum amount unless that would be higher than the open market.

Always fascinating what happens when you artificially control supply and demand, it leaks out somewhere because people will always find a way to optimize their situation, whether the landlord or the tenant, as you point out.

One of the most intelligent and strongest wholesalers I know started at 26 and would run circles around 90% of the people 2x his age. 

I purchased a whole bunch of real estate books to learn all the basics so I can engage intelligently in real estate related conversations and plan to join a local meetup group today.