Some folks are willing to take the risk in the gamble for appreciation, especially here in CA, they are typically purchasing when the market is down, not high as it is now.

-My typical ARV is $500-$700k.

i want to go with a lighter color. 

@James Jones yeah it is super tough out here because each non owner occupant typically will get 2-3 mailers per property per month. 

- Easements: In my opinion - these are important when you encounter a landlocked property (which isn't necessarily a common thing, but it does come up from time to time) and/or if your intent is to somehow develop or subdivide the property yourself (which isn't something I typically do, and 95% of the land flippers I know don't get into this in a big way).

Typically, the better the Rent/price ratio, the tougher the neighborhood.When I bought my first owner-occupied duplex, we went for a great neighborhood and the other tenant paid roughly 60% PITI.

Typically a deposit of 2K is required to reserve the spot, 2K at groundbreaking, and the loan does not kick in until the property is complete)

Besides doing the typical title search, I suggest completing a back ground search on the company (including the state and local jurisdictions to ensure all licenses, taxes, and fees are up to date.

Paint the doors a bright contrasting color.

You typically can get a Property Management Company when you work your way up to about 30 units and can turnover the property to them to take over the daily operations and you get monthly reports that are financial and occupancy involved.The smaller apartment complexes (starting at about 6 units) are often owned by individuals that are willing to give you the financing.