Don't worry about what they say. As

I would certainly say a property manager will help if you plan on staying on the west coast.

The second main topic is buying investments in California is going to shrink only to buyers that must buy and are stubborn enough to stay in markets that are such high demand and are ok with say a 3% cap rate.

If you can get into a low down payment program at say a 3.5%, and rent out all the bedrooms, in most cases you will be free and clear of a mortgage payment.

I would say As a Man Thinketh Richest Man in Babylon Psycho Cybernetics 

Be VERY transparent and show them-- it's their choice to prioritize you over say a cell phone bill. 

You can simply say a pet deposit will be required, the amount being agreeable between landlord and tenant.What you're doing is whimpping out, you're avoiding negotiations and having to justify your deposit amount.

@Marianne Lopez-HenthornI’d say a suburb of Washington, DC might suit all of your criteria except the low taxes part.

@Cole Bryant if you find a halfway decent deal to house hack instead of pay rent and put 3.5% down on say a 700k duplex that would be $24,500 vs putting 20% down on a 150k investment which is $30k.

I would say a hand written letter usually works best in getting calls.