That then becomes an unlawful foreclosure in attempting to secure collateral, that is a civil matter and can be criminal under state laws.

There are laws regarding each and by intentionally and unlawfully encumbering title, you just might become a Defendant.  

It is a felony to have an unregistered gun punishable by 18 months in jail. 

then you have to live there for one year, then you can flip.If you lie and say you are an owner occupant, but really are not it is a Federal crime, and the punishment is a $250,000 fine and up to 5 years in jail.I haven't seen the deal that was worth the time.If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. 

My wife and I went to the courthouse to observe unlawful detainer (aka eviction) cases. 

I know how to get lists from title reps, Melissa Data, List Source, etc but none of these provide things like homes with code violations, Unlawful Detainer Actions (evictions), or deceased owners.

The state has prescribed an enforcement mechanism for punishing wayward agents.Entering the real estate transaction with the intent to broker a sale to another suggests brokering activity, which requires the observation of heightened fiduciary duties in all states.

Let me know .I’ll go ahead and pencil you in for a 9:30 a$$ whippin .Signed “ the punisher”

You could be criminally liable if there is a fire and building is used as unlawful 4 unit rental (similar to Ghost Ship fire). 

Fixed expenses are your property tax bill as you know how much it will increase annually, insurance (to a degree), and interest (as you can calculate it with an amortization table).Since the "GOAL" (or at least my goal) is to avoid Calis punishing income tax, I will probably need to Refi the property AND/OR make sweeping upgrades to change my cost/expense basis.