If I hadn't recently decided to really retire (60 years of habits are hard to break), I would offer to buy your returned mail any day.  

@Jack B. but it isn't always better to be in the habit of following the fair housing laws?

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

I tend to over analyze things myself which actually got me into a good habit of doing basic research on a property before I contact the owner.If a property is truly "abandoned" ( be careful with that word because some folks who haven't necessarily abandoned a property will take offense to you suggesting that they abandoned their childhood home.

However, if it's in the long run and you have that extra reserves, there's no harm of putting more down payment since you're paying towards principle and potentially waiving MI (mortgage insurance) @Albert Bui @Carlos Valencia

And with companies like Ray Tax there is no fee if they don't lower your tax bill, so there is no harm/cost in trying.

As long as it is habitable and most everything works, you should be OK.There is a Homestyle loan from Fannie Mae that permits you to finance the rehab as well, if you're looking at a property that needs more work.

One of Ramsey's largest investors was sold to a larger bank, who began to take a harder look at Ramsey's borrowing habits.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

Money habits is a BIG killer in relationships, worse even than infidelity.To the original point about where besides Orange County to invest: OK, this will sound crazy, but, almost anywhere else.First thing to do is search the BP forums.