Again 20-30% is fair.I have an almost 100 year apartment building where I pay some of the utilities. 60% is a fair estimate and it's often more than that.I have a couple of older houses in 'bad areas' where the tenants regularly trash the property causing thousands of dollars in damage and move out in the middle of the night.

I'm not really surprised that there is political movement around affordable  housing in this area. 

I have a 2/1 800 sq ft, house in Durham, NC.

House was built in 1995 so I am thinking that I will need a roof for it soon and central heating/cooling is six years old.

It can definitely be frustrating.One thing I'd encourage your friend to keep in mind is that the tenant is a person and their housing depends on this process.

It's all about comparing the loan amount to how much the house is worth.

Purchase price: $252,000 Cash invested: $25,000 Brick house, 4 bedroom, 2.5 Bath How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

@Kyle O'Donnell In Atlanta area, I recommend you consider Palmer House Properties.

Are they hosting open houses, networking with neighbors that might know someone, promoting the listing for the reasons you listed? 

So if the house you are looking at is $400,000 in California, you will need $80,000+ to buy it with financing.