Thanks.Jane We are navigating the same situation.  

Traditional bank financing was used, despite a timing challenge with multiple deals transacting at the same time.

Even if they're SoCal local meet ups, there should definitely be some out of state investors or people similar to your situation.

Biggest suggestion would be to make sure you are flexible, willing to work with multiple housing programs, and hire a good manager if you are not going to self manage the units.

There are over 500 replies and  I see several people commenting multiple times.

I decided to give them the option to break their lease and leave, if they so choose, which they haven't responded to yet.My question is, has anyone dealt with a similar situation who may be able to give some advice on this?

If the software is not simplifying your life or making you more accurate, you shouldn't use it.Software does have extremely helpful features like online payments, marketing syndication (click a button, and your property is advertised on multiple sites), electronic document review/signing, maintenance tracking, and owner reports.

I think we just need to get that first investment done to get our feet wet and really get the ball rolling but wondering that with the fortunate situation I’m in with a great safety net already, is there a “best” way to start?

It's definitely hard to say without knowing more about this situation but when I have had renters who've dealt with identity theft in the past, they had filed a claim, and there would be something clearly noted on the report that a claim of theft had been filed or their credit would've been frozen.

What's the current situation in terms of cash flow?