They tend to all have good incomes, little to no credit, and are self employed with lots of family.

The lessons you learned the hard way in 2008 will be invaluable now, and it’s great that you’re aiming to stay small-scale and within your comfort zone of Sacramento, which gives you an advantage of knowledge in that market.Given your experience, I'd say start by focusing on three key areas to build confidence and minimize risks:Budget Control: Over-renovating was one of the big mistakes you mentioned.

Even when I self manage I include pm because it is work and I do not work for free.

Remember, the notion of amassing wealth without investing is a dangerous myth perpetuated by self-proclaimed experts.

It has solar power, a compost toilet, and other things of that nature to be self-sustaining.

If are confident you will receive a permit, then somethings to think about...#1 I would call the city rentals department directly and ask if the seller's license will remain active until the day yours becomes active.

what makes you qualified to pitch someone if you don't even have confidence in yourself?

As I develop trust and confidence in them, I invest more, and I've come to have a significant portion of my net worth invested with some operators. 

On paper they were amazing deals, in reality they sucked so badly I went into self storage instead.

Is there sufficient confidence in tokens?