Hope this helps and good luck on your search.

There are some great meetups in the north Seattle area, you can search them here on BP.

One time when I was looking for a primary residence an agent set up some type of account for me to search and access the MLS.

Security deposit amountYou can find plenty of examples by searching for "tenant estoppel certificate doc" or exchange "doc" with "pdf" for more options.Here is an example and explanation: estoppel certificateSome have a lot of legal jargon but this document does not need to be so detailed.

I would be more than happy to get you set up on an MLS search.

I know reaching out to people directly on BP, searching forums etc would be a clear approach which I intend to do. 

They were required by law to search other properties, but came up with some excuse why my property wasn't suitable.

Use the search feature located in the upper right corner of your screen.I also recommend getting a good book covering the general requirements of being a Landlord.

I, like most of us, found BP through web searches and having originally dismissed the site am back to it after almost a year.

The other big expense is owners title insurance which is usually paid by buyer unless otherwise noted.A quick google search of California closing costs breakdown should net you an answer for what the standard is.