I live in Southern California... while its a pretty tenant-friendly state, the "Class" and income level is so high - I rarely see REALLY bad tenants and don't know any friends or family that has needed to deal with an eviction. 

Link above provides some details about risk level 2.7 feet of water.

DEFINITELY make sure you do your own due diligence here and do not just trust the sellers word about the level of renovation required.

No level of success can be achieved in any field without a positive mental attitude.

I have minimal experience being a landlord - I currently rent out the basement in my primary residence it’s a 4 bdr bi-level.

Zoning laws are typically controlled at the local level, so check with your department of city planning, especially around pricing. 

(the bottom unit is set below the street level although still open all the way around so not a true garden unit).

There has to be a world where there are more options out there for the consumer/buyer to choose the level of service they want (full service, limited service, and self-service) and effectively get back part of the buyer agent commissions as a form of a refund -- or just have more leverage in the transaction because they aren't represented.Thoughts?

At some point, you have to be happy with "enough" That level of "enough" is going to be different for everyone.

I only have one problem that is a little bit hard for a person with my level of education and experience to admit.