They don't have as much money to benefit from some of the loop holes that wealthy individuals take advantage of.The rich fight taxes with money. 

Any thoughts on focusing on areas just outside of GR for rentals instead of fighting with the competition directly in GR?  

Your contract may be different though, just be aware the wording will matter when fighting for EMD.

They actively fight against appraising at a high value, and, as others have said, can be frustrating to deal with.I have seen instances where I see them do comparables 6+ months ago in an extraordinarily hot market (like Seattle recently), when obviously prices have gone up since then.

Also while many of the high income areas have far exceeded the peak of a decade ago, the lower income areas are less than 50% of their price from a decade ago.But over time, prices go up and down, and with a long trajectory will always go up because their is no fighting the economic force of inflation.

I want to fight my way into the city, and with the way prices are rising now it looks as if I will need to lick my chops and get ready to grind.

I think you will find that most real estate rules don't apply in Southern CA and especially in highly sought after communities like Irvine.  

If they were to fight in court they would find something in that contract to drag it.Your action really depends on how much you know about the previous landlords.

I paint runways on an airport and provide Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) at an airport now. 

@Bill Brandt This might be the best post I've seen on BP- I'm usually the one fighting this fight.