Assign each house a "Class" and tag each transaction with the appropriate Class. 

But I get why seasoned investors always push to buy lower maintenance buildings. 

My rate on my 401(k) loan is significantly lower than any HML and a little lower than bank rates.2) Qualifying/applying--I don't need to apply or qualify for it.

It just depends on what your expectations are.Realistically could you expect to house hack and have your mortgage payments be lower than renting?  

Also be aware that most immigrants (adult immigrants at least) will have a much lower score than a comparable citizen due to a much shorter than average credit history. 

I spoke to the appraiser who appraised my building 2 years ago when I was first going through the purchase transaction and he states that too many banks have been burned on using the cost approach with people paying too much or over-improving their investments which has caused most people in the industry to only use sales and income approaches to properly appraise a property.

If you sell before they are reassessed you will have a harder time competing with similar listing with lower taxes.  

I am no expert, but what I do not see in San Diego is how we get from the present extremely low inventory levels (especially on the coast and the lower priced $800k and below market) to an excess inventory level which I believe would have to be a precursor to any significant price drop.

Starting out on the multifamily side, I suggest that you have a look at C or lower B class properties (workforce housing).

Hi @Amiris Brown If this is your first purchase i wouldnt recommend starting out with a big project like that...usually it turns out bigger than what you thought... in any case if you really like that property and it has lots of issues i would suggest send the listing agent a backup contract. these usually fall through and you might be bae to pick it up at a lower price. also fnme- homepath stopped negotiating high price reductions about a year ago.. but they usually have an automated system that reduce the price once a month..also something very important to consider- if your'e planing to buy this property and keep it as a rental- because it has lots of mold you have have to get a remediation certificate that the house has been treated and clean. otherwise the tenants can hold you liable and take you to court if they feel the property  still have mold ,that can be very costly...