There are still quite a few of us in the middle though (see how I excluded myself there?

You'll then see that delinquency rates are:- At their lowest point since 2006- Historically on the low side of normal - On an overall downward trend for the past 4 yearsIn fact, excluding the artificially propped-up mortgage market of 2004-2006 during which delinquency rates were slightly lower than they are today, bottoming out at 1.41% in 2005, there are fewer mortgage delinquencies today than at any time in the past 33 years.By the way, when these scant 1.73% of homeowners become delinquent on their mortgages, they overwhelmingly have the equity to be able to sell the home at a gain if needed.

Do they do pretty much take care of everything excluding replacing broken big ticket items like furniture? 

When it comes to real estate, here's a general list of eligible assets and their depreciable lifespans that you should know: Residential Rental Property = 27.5 yearsThis includes any building or structure where 80% or more of its gross rental income is from residential units.That means:- Apartment buildings- Single-family rental homes- Duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes- Mobile homes (used for residential rental)- Any kind of residential lodging facility where the primary purpose is long-term rentalCommercial Property = 39 yearsThis includes non-residential properties like:-Office buildings-Retail stores and shopping centers-Warehouses-Industrial complexes-Hotels and motels that do not qualify as residential rental propertyLand Improvements = 15 yearsThese include sidewalks, roads, fencing, some landscaping, and parking lots that are separate from the building.Personal Property = 5 or 7 yearsPersonal property used in a rental activity usually has a 5 or 7-year life.This includes most furniture, appliances, carpeting and various machinery.Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) = 15 yearsGenerally, this includes any improvements made to the interior of a non-residential building after the building was placed in service, excluding elevators, enlargements, and the internal structural framework.Computers and Related Peripheral Equipment = 5 yearsVehicles = 5 yearsNote that the land itself is not depreciable.

So I’m looking for someone who’s an expert in the market to help me find the right property (obviously willing to pay a commission or finder fee).I’m looking for something I can live in 8 months out of the year (excluding the hottest months).

Compass (one of the companies paying their agents to stay) is 3rd nationwide with $45.5B in commission revenues but with only $34,644 transactions showing that their large base in CA has higher price points than the rest of the country (excluding NY) and this brokerage is losing money ever single year. 

If yu claim one it doesn't void the option to claim the other one.Provided you meet the IRS requirements for both, as a tax strategy, you could complete exclude a portion of capital gains under Section 121 and then defer the remaining capital gains under Section 1031 (@Dave Foster is a great resource for 1031 exchange). ..

However, others that I spoke with differ on that subject and also exclude them from their rental prospects.

Exclude any units that are out of your league and focus on similar comps. 

If its not included in the contract its excluded .Change orders are paid up front , and add time to a job .