@James Barnes- I don't have any secret, just house hacked a couple times, found another great deal here, another one there, worked my tail off fixing them up, renting them out....over time, the gap between my liabilities and rents grows, and all of the sudden I am passively making enough money to live on.

There will be a lot of bad apples you must take the time to find someone decent.

With the new apple campus announced in Austin, expect lot more companies to move in.

Grew up in SD, but lived in Bakersfield & LA awhile.Have you thought of looking in Ventura, Tehachapi, Palmdale or Victorville/Apple Valley?  

You must compare apples to apples - I would never remotely compare my real estate experience to that of a full time real estate agent/broker/investor/developer/contractor. 

I agree that comparing 4- units to 5+ units is apples to oranges, but sounds like you were getting at something deeper here.Thanks!

You have to shop around and compare apples to apples.

To the same degree the power company, water company, bank, Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, Amazon, insurance company, Lowes, the post office, IRS, and the possum that lives in the woods behind my house like me. 

Some major manufacturers and retailers -- including Microsoft, Apple and Walmart -- have already warned of disrupted supply chains, and have lowered guidance (or implied it) for 2Q20. 

Not that they don’t do things wrong, and that there aren’t bad apples out there, but part of that is up to you.