I don't like relying on appreciation, especially in a relatively flat market like ours and California seems to have a large number of problems, affordability issues, consistent outmigration, etc.

They give a general idea of where property lines are but are not useful for determining issues of just a few feet.

Our area is not unique, this is a nationwide issue (opportunity) for accounting firms.In the end I think many would be well served to think of their CPA/EA as they do an attorney - while they can also help provide planning advice to better structure your tax life and save some money, a portion of the cost is just a cost of doing business - you are required to be compliant by the Feds / states / etc, and the CPA/EA is insurance to ensure you get it right and stay out of their way.

I believe a common search moving forward will be (Region name "buyers agent") like it is in Aussie.And we will know how important that 1st page of Google search can beKiss

I am no stranger to critter issues. 

While they were a few minor incidents, like the tenant refusing entry to the appraiser due to COVID concerns or issues with fixing things that showed up in the inspection, Eric helped sort it all out in the end, and we got them resolved.

I am sure this is a common strategy because I have heard various discussions about this.

It used be a more common way to implement the equivalent of zoning standards before zoning was a thing. 

You bring up syndications at an interesting time, given the many established ones that are running into issues at the moment.  

Navigating appliance issues in a rental can be tricky, especially with a long-term, reliable tenant like yours.