It isn't having paid off properties that offers security, there are still taxes, insurance, maintenance and management involved. 

Turnkey properties offer immediate rental income with less hands-on involvement, while properties in need of rehabilitation can potentially appreciate in value.

The capital stack especially in CA is VERY complex and typically involves everything and more that you mentioned.

There is still some paperwork involved but significantly less than traditional lending institutions.  

Our current tech stack is a mix of Buildium (very clunky), Breezeway (great, but limited without a PMS), Xero and Google Suite tools with lots of spreadsheets involved.

We act as GC on our efforts but we have gotten tired of the effort involved.  

So back to the drawing board, but for myself the big takeaway is to continue on the course that I set out on and too continually learn and stay involved with goals that I set out on and to stay focused.

Many real estate agents dabble in property management without fully understanding the complexities involved, making it risky to work with them.

One thing I’ve always done is focus on the 75th percentile of the rent estimates, as my properties tend to fall into that range (very nice, but small with no amenities).While I think there will always be some manual research involved, the current platforms lack key functionality that could be easily implemented with the available market data and technology.1.Quality Metrics:•Filter comps to match the quality of your rentals.

I personally have no connections with anyone who is involved in this niche and I'm wondering how other people have started their journey.