Keep things in perspective and remember your friendship is more important than money.

Some of the options are: short-term income, long-term income, flips, wholesaling.Within those categories are sub categories like: single-family, multi-family, vacation rentals, and many more.Once you have the goal in mind it changes your whole perspective, you can talk to everyone you meet about it, and they will be your lifeline for finding deals, etc. 

Despite the very efforts made (I believe that I have done everything that I possible could as a tenant to installing the curtain and bathmat with my own cost for a specific purpose, and informing the agent whatever necessary for further action to be taken if needed) this is a structural dampness that caused the damage and the essential nature of having the shower which inevitably made the leak leading to the damage would not constitute a negligent nor irresponsible act from my perspective.

@David McKeever  local perspective on stockton?

If you see numbers work from an objective perspective-, go for it.

I just use my own spreadsheet but I'm sure BPs calcs are even better.I actually don't even use those rules and like to go by cap rate as I am in buy and hold so it is more of a business perspective.

In such cases, the tenancy is considered month-to-month from the tenants perspective (regardless of what is indicated in a written lease) and they need only provide 30-days notice of termination.  

I know it is frustrating from a principal of the matter standpoint, but from a business perspective it really isn't that bad. 

There is only a down side from your perspective, as I don't see rates going down in the very near future.

I think most people have covered the accuracy of Zillow very well.From my perspective, I use ZEstimate as a ball park number when I need a quick estimate for any wholesale deals I am working on.