Then I drive up to Central California to check out some properties, and I hear on the radio, "Hi, I'm Than Merrill, and I wanted to tell you the Fresno market is just ripe for a few motivated individuals to try my special wealth building program ..."

How much does the housing authority pay and how much does the tenant pay?

I'm tagging @Amanda Han , the author of  The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor . 

Your local housing authority is the best place to start.

Because the  law has authority over the code we use it to our advantage.

I got a quote to add central heating/cooling to each floor (3 separate units) for 28k all in.

Central (just East of 14 around Division/Sierra Hwy) is older stuff and fairly Ghetto ... good cash flow on paper, but management intensive and I'd avoid as a newbie.

Also authority having jurisdiction could play a part in this.

In our largest county, Los Angeles, the probate court used to have satellite courts however they have since consolidated into a central courthouse and archiving center. 

As for international investors that are buying overseas in the Caribbean, central america, and/or south america that has changed as well.