If the answer is another investor & you reasonably believe it will be an investor for the foreseeable future, you may want to reconsider whether it is a SF home you want to own as a rental.

I'm actually keeping an eye on some spots east of the gigafactory; there's a lot of buzz about potential there.Would love to swap insights and maybe grab a coffee (even if virtual) to chat more about how we can navigate and capitalize on these changes.

You don't have to be an accountant to do bookkeeping - just click or auto categorize based on the rules you set up.

You are asking about a gross lease as an option,  in your situation even with the very few details provided that would not even be an option in my mind.Yes, hire a broker to help you out.

You can try to get them to pay some or all of the expenses, but it could be an uphill battle. 

If no one within the group has experience buying real estate, I would suggest you each buy a property on your own and then have a discussion of forming a partnership in 2-3 years.If you already have experience within the group, I would suggest all the friends get together over coffee and brainstorm all your concerns.

Even getting them back out there will be an uphill battle. 

We chatted about it over coffee, and she decided to take the plunge.

She is trying to find some help with the rent, so it may be an issue. 

Not sure if the fits in this category for investor mindset, but here goes...I want to be an investor, but am not having the easy time get starting with this.