Ian Barnes True, CA has the most expensive permits and has the longest wait times, well, depending on the city most of the time, but they mostly have half day offices and half day inspections, and most don't have Friday offices (la county law). by volume, they flood review paperworks to third party architects which in turn review turn around for 1 week, then by the third correction, it's now week 4.

The old man that owns it, apparently also owns half the modest sized town and his heirs just are not real estate people.

My better half is actually from your area!

2) which property type is easiest to rent and offers the best ROI. 3) should I put 20% down or do a 3-3.5% down program and pay PMI?

This property will be delivered with clean title there may be half a years tax's or so but you would take that on.I want this to be a learning experience for the BP community to share with especially newer investors looking to get into the game...

I assign half my contracts to Brokers and Agents alike, and they have become somewhat of a extended team members for me.Kind of aggravates me how you are in fact, 100% inaccurate on your rant above, yet are so assured that the stuff you are saying is of fact! 

You will be able to exclude the gain up to 250k each on your owner occupied half of the property.

My partner and I have invested heavily in metro Cincinnati and are now in about half of the 52 Cincinnati neighborhoods, so we have a good sense of the market. 

The unit/half you live in would be treated as your primary residence, and eligible for the 121 exclusion tax exemption, after 2 years.  

I decided to rent it because about half the people who came to look at it want to rent instead of buy.