I would talk to Amanda Han at http://www.keystonecpa.comThey aren't based in Oakland but they are great real estate tax resources and can really help you leverage your investment into tax savings.

You should consider mailing to people who aren’t in every other investor’s sites.

We aren't looking for success immediately.

They have a LOT of overlays and extra BS, and the overlays aren't all published for the mortgage broker to see.

Hey Brandon, they aren’t any different at all.

As long as you aren't way off, you will be fine.

In LA, I haven’t seen too many listings from Redfin, probably because people realize they aren’t saving that much money with them.

The problem you may run into is if it is a specific place you want they aren't on the market long.

Many seniors live on a fixed income, so you can't just push their existing rents as their benefits probably aren't keeping pace. 

In reality if things just aren't working out and you aren't happy signing an exclusivity agreement I have never known although have heard of an agent to not let you out of contract unless you are trying to screw them out of a commission.