Additional ways to gauge value or whether to sell: cap rates gross rent multipliers comparable sales of similar triplex's fourplexes sales price per unit 1% or 2% rule on comparable properties or alternatives and more...

Does anyone know about this new law/rule??

Check out the "50% rule" to help you analyze potential properties.

What I mean by that, is that I inquired with quite a few local banks what loan programs, rates, rules (overlays), etc they had in preparation for me buying several more rental houses around the beginning of last year.I really liked what Union Bank had to offer because they were a portfolio lender and could be more flexible with the number of loans allowed.

Study your state's tax deed rules.

I'm also not a big rules and red tape fan either, many COAs I've seen require their own application from the tenant which can really slow down my rentals.

Sean Breslin, EVP at Avalon Bay (one of the large apartment REITS) who was also on the call said that one dynamic that they really look at when selecting markets is job growth vs. new supply and sure enough M&M Research had a slide on that too: The rule of thumb that you hear from the institutional guys is that on average it takes about 5 new jobs to fill a new unit.

These esoteric 2%, 50% rules...

However, the rents in the Bay Area don't seem to justify home prices.As far as returns, I'm shooting for a cash-on-cash yield of at least 15%

I used to write everything down on scraps, then I graduated to ruled paper.