While I do agree with @Greg Scott that California is not the easiest state to be a landlord, the investment results make it worthwhile even in places like San Francisco where a savvy investor can identify the value play opportunities.The fires from the past few years have made the rental market in Sonoma and Napa counties very favorable for landlords with higher rents as demand significantly outstripped supply.

Right now oil markets are so flush with supply that storage is a huge issue.

Population: 492k (KC)Population Growth: 8.2% increase in population since 2010 (KC)Median Sales Price: $200k (KC MSA)Median Home Value: $211k (KC MSA)Median Household Income: $52k (KC)Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (KC)Housing Supply: 1.4 months (KC MSA) Historically, market equilibrium has been 6 months of supply/inventory but this figure is likely about 4 months in today's market.

If you go with wood flooring I would recommend any thing made with bamboo which can take a beating and to extend the life of the floor you can add in the lease " rugs most be supplied by tenant in high traffic areas"For Kitchen Cabinets I wouldn't mind Ikea, its cheaper then the home depot line up and not to mention they can offer lego like buildable interiors but also can offer lots of replacement parts. 

Here's what to do:-Document all the damage and get quotes-Send a letter to the Section 8 tenant stating they owe X amount over and above the security deposit - include the list of damages and the repair costs-Have the repairs done-Once the courts reopen sue the tenant (I've only ever sued in small claims though it sounds like you would not be able to get the full amount of damage in small claims as it's capped at $5000; so you can either sue at 5K or hire a lawyer, which is likely not worth it as lawyers are expensive)-In the event your friend takes the tenant to small claims and sues for $5000 and wins, you then go to the Housing Authority office and show them the proof (photos of the damage, contractor billing, supplies, etc.) so the tenant's voucher is frozen (it will be frozen until they pay you; of course there's a chance they won't pay you the 5K)-After a set amount of time (where I've done evictions it's 30 days) you go to the prothonotary's office (mine was located at the courthouse) and for a small fee you can get a lien against the tenant.

Just looking at the whole debacle with the testing and supplies with COVID-19, do we really think that this will be done well? 

From what I am reading, housing supply is low.

After numerous conversations with investors, CFAs, data scientists and economists in conjunction with my own understanding and study as a CFA candidate, I thought it would be worthwhile to share my thoughts on how I think this crisis will affect the commercial real estate markets in the short and long run, with a few ideas on how to position ourselves to succeed.To do this effectively, I think we need to look at the economy as a whole on a macro level to consider which factors will influence supply and demand for investment real estate.

In some cities that is something that should be supplied by the landlord even if the lease says otherwise.

We can sell in what is still a very hot retail market due to low supply, or we can rent if that becomes necessary (or even potentially sell it as a turn key).