Quick question for the forum: Does anyone use the Bureau of Labor Statistic's CPI Inflation Calculator when assessing the value of a potential investment?

Unless this story is better than what you wrote, its your turn, too.Start with a complete assessment of your parents finances. 

this means, 2 mcdonald workers living together in yucca valley could easily pay $1200/mo for a quality rental.my homes have all increased 10-20% a year for 3 yrs straight - as the few quality inexpensive rentable homes that come up are fought over by investors, new home buyers, airbnb.a sewer assessment going into effect will add 100-150 to the monthly tax burden (along with a few other assessments in the works - school,fire) Bob Armstrong (a realtor in the area) creates a nice email newsletter each month with data/commentary.

Do you have the funds to take down the deal or this a just for fun activity that is for your personal edification with the hope that one day the money will be there? 

So while the subsequent tax bills will not include the interest and penalties that were included in the tax sale amount, it will have an increase of about $1000 in taxes assessed because the homestead exemption will be removed.

What is the current level of unpaid assessments and how many of those are rentals?

Preferably as many units as possible but with hidden value in making improvements (the unfinished attic in our current house was a goldmine) a.My feeling is auctions are good place to go for this but I don’t know anything about auctions. 3.Rent a property to live in for the first year I can’t subject my fiancé to living in a gut rehab again 4.Use the cash generated from the property and work during that first year to put together a down payment for a house for us. 5.Re finance the rental property and buy more property.These are my other day one questions: 1.I’m an architect, does anyone have any advice for actively leveraging my skills to help me do this real estate investing thing full time/ what career change could help me ease into this while still having a salary?

If the owner accepts $0 for their property the city may reduce the liens owned to the assessed value but generally not lower. 

You can very inexpensively have watermarks added to your pictures that will help deter this activity. 

I am currently an active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, living out in Oceanside, CA.