Going direct saves you and the seller money, giving you a lower cost to entry which helps all your numbers, but you have to put in the extra work to find that deal.

You may save a few thousand dollars going this route, but may lose a few hundred thousand dollars if you are not dialing in on your strategy and numbers. 

So I saved an additional $2500 in taxes after the fact.

Also get me out of more debt/risk.I would put 100-150k into savings for a primary home for my familythen i would put 300k into Bitcoin...just kiddingThe rest of the money I would likely want to "work with".

Virtually only ones to have not done well in San Diego RE were those over leveraged at inopportune times.If you want To invest in San Diego, I suggest you save more before starting.  

I saved up the down payment for a few months and have a few remaining as emergency funds.

The public good is the saving of wear, tear, and expense on our first responders.

Unfortunately, there was a stop work order in place on the property, which the roofing contractor was told by BTC was resolved.  

Then I save that amount each month in reserves until I need them.

It’s also important to be as specific as possible in the scope of work for each line item—clear details can save you from misunderstandings or unexpected costs later on.I specialize in consulting services for situations just like this, helping clients work confidently with contractors by bridging the knowledge gap.