Two contributing factors are high construction costs and regulations that make obtaining a construction permit difficult.California already has a large housing shortage.

We have been proposed a deal where we would renovate the sellers duplex from a 2 to a 4 and while doing that, our sweat equity would earn our down payment To purchase the property through them.

In our state (WA) the tenant is responsible for pest control (as long as it was pest free when you delivered it) for SFR and the landlord is responsible for multifamily.

Only way around it is a cost segregation study which most investors rarely do for residential RE on a small scale. 

Please feel free to reach out directly if you have any other question, or if you would like to talk financing!

Many are freezing distributions because the free and low interest rates are gone.

It just doesn't seem make sense to collect rents on free and clear properties. 

I believe that the cost at the Embassy was about $50.  

However if you only invest it in training, then at the end you have lost $50,000 and still don't own anything.There are a lot less inexpensive ways to learn about real estate in my opinion.Don't fall for any high pressure techniques from any guru.....the typical scenario is to go to a free 2-3 hour training session. 

And most nurses don't understand the added cost it takes or a land lord to provide this type of rental, that all have in their mind that all land lords are rich.