REO's looking to get assets off the books and collect losses, investors and families begin checking out early as holidays get near, etc.

You have to have lived in your primary for 2 of the last 5 years to exclude gains.

Prioritize constructing long-term wealth, striking a balance between immediate rewards and long-term objectives to generate passive income and lasting wealth.

It states that the deposit will be "paid before move in" To this effect the tenant could pay the day before move in leaving me waiting weeks with the threat of them backing out at the last minute. 

They’ve secured low rates and rapid equity increases due to the last few years of Fed/gov intervention.   

@Dwayne Clarke going to take an educated guess that what you were cautioned about is buying someone else's problem.Over the last couple of years, many OOS investors bought a bunch of SFR and MFR properties with LITTLE due diligence.Many were sold Class C & D properties that they thought, or expected to perform like, were Class A or B.Once they figured out what the properties really were - via tenant nonperformance and never-ending maintenance issues, they looked to sell them.If you know what you are doing, their loss can be your gain.If you are new and do NOT know what you are doing, then you'll just be the next "sucker" that gets taken.

Last but not least, my business partner Chris just mentioned to me this website which it seems to be pretty accurate in terms of market rent. https://www.rentometer.com 

The last full gut we did ~1600sqft rowhome was $125k with permits.

I purchased a duplex in Carlsbad myself last month...interest rate wasn't great (mid 7s) but they could be worse I guess and I can't wait around hoping they'd come down.

It seems that it’s just one of those things I have to take a loss on.