If not you might be stuck with the work and the commitment to doing it since the city would be the ruling party.

A 1%- and 2%- rule property is hugely better in California compared to Costa Rica because you can leverage in California and you can't in Costa Rica (notwithstanding the fact the risk is higher in Costa Rica too so you'd actually expect a higher return there).

You’ll want to get really familiar with local zoning laws, short-term rental rules, and landlord-tenant laws as they vary by town if you plan on going the STR route.Focus on Cash Flow Early On: You might be tempted to go for something that appreciates quickly, but in the early stages, it’s important to find properties that bring in cash flow.

Hard Money Loans are generally speaking institutional money so they make the rules and you either like it and take it, or move on to another lender.

With the new commission rules you can stay flexible with an offer of buyer agent commission, rather than having to commit to a certain percentage going to the buyer agent upfront. 

Seems like you should not have to but showing they broke house rules leading to damage may help. 

  #1 rule is not to trust them, but they still have value. 

They each offer very different options, and each have different STVR rules as well.  

It depends on a lot of factors; primarily the local jurisdiction rules that may limit lease changes (in Portland/Oregon rent, security deposit, screening fees, an no-cause evictions are heavily regulated).

The rules and payment standards vary significantly from one area to another, so familiarizing yourself with the local housing authority's procedures is key.