it is important that the CPA has rentals and has a deep list of customers with Rental experience or you will likely miss out on several strategic deductions.  

I've lived in Memphis for 20 years (by choice!) 

However, with family and kids (one toddler and one infant), it's unlikely to be of viable choice to us.

I read the article, which was informative and well-written, but I didn't see anything to contradict the idea that, if you used a home equity line of credit secured by a personal residence to provide money for your investment activities, you have a choice.

In Cali appraisers have no choice but to defer back to older comps no matter how far they go back or how far they have to navigate away from the area.BTW, FYI, This is also a very pervasive challenge for folks who want to purchase a HUD MH on a private lot or parcel surrounded by other SFR's in the immediate area.

This job taking up a lot of my time which i would rather be using to get me towards my goal of financial freedom of which real estate investing is my vehicle of choice!

Think strategically and two or three purchases down the road; certainly think through the options on how/when/if you use that 10% down loan because it can open up options to higher priced properties that don't require any work now and/or limited future maintenance if you are buying newer properties (ie down payment is the only cash you need beyond standard reserves, etc).  

I have offered some guests the choice to pay through Paypal, which has a significantly lower service fee, but is there a free site that I can use?  

It is a competitive market but I'm sure your other choices are too.

If you already included the make and model from a HVAC company you trust then they are providing your quality workmanship already by you choosing them over the sellers choice.