BP Community members with sufficient experience are happy to offer advice.

One thing I've noticed in several metropolitan areas is that once a neighborhood is sufficiently sketchy, the stores will stop being well-known national or regional brands, and become things you've never heard of.

Right now, buy n hold (w/ certain safety) betting solely on appreciation is a bit tough in So Cal unless you have sufficient equity and cash reserves from the start to protect yourself in the event of a downturn.  

It is a poor investment as a rental since the rent is not sufficiently reflect the value.

A few serendipitous things happened: --I found a lender who understood what I was doing and would make me multiple loans (up to 10) if I so desired and had sufficient down payment and debt coverage (they only wanted to see 1.2, my properties were closer to 1.8 on average).

I completely understand, and the information you have should be sufficient. 

Gift cards are more than sufficient.

That can work well until major repairs are needed- then the owner may not have sufficient resources, and the property can begin to enter a death spiral.

It does not matter whether in your mind you really intended to state a falsehood or not, merely that what you said turned out to be incorrect is sufficient.

From various conversations I had when I looked into this, you need to have 12 - 15 units per set (washer / dryer) to make it sufficiently profitable for them.