Please note the information provided below is a layman's definition designed to provide a basic understanding for the general audience.

First I start in LA but then can't find anything that makes sense as its highly competitive strong tenant rental control rights, etc.

Dishwashers, washers and fridges have a high lemon probability of dying within 3-5 years once you’re out of warranty.

@Eli Joffe the most general but applicable advice in your situation is to start focusing on high cash-flow properties with low equity growth potential in the beginning in order to have the cash to boot strap.Once you have a few properties under your belt, then start phasing in nicer homes which tend to be lower cash-flow with higher equity growth potentialThe former helps you boot-strap using more labor and the latter helps build wealth more passively and with less tenant struggles.

UT Austin SBDC offer free advice and resources I would definitely reach out to them. 

Have had it happen in personal houses before, it was usually due to humidity in cities with high, high humidity. 

Some criteria to consider when evaluating a market are:- school districts-crime rate- job/population growth  If the crime is low, schools are reputable, and job/population growth are steady/high, chances are you are looking in the right markets. 

Create a simple spreadsheet or written list to compare the features of each and identify the ones that align with your requirements.

Property owners won't know that going into it, but they are lured in by low fees.The old saying is true: you get what you pay for, not to say that all PM companies that charge "high" will do a good job, but I feel confident in saying that if you are paying very little for services, you will get very little in return.Best wishes!

Hi @Barry Randall, being creative by applying room renting will definitely boost your rental income.