What we've also found, is that the rent they offered is quite a bit lower than what we could get for the unit with a non section 8 tenant.

LA is a very tenant friendly location, but being owner occupied comes with a bunch of advantages that non-owner occupied investors do not have.

The place needs enough elbow grease that non-investor types weren't interested in it,    but its not bad overall and mostly needs cosmetics after a couple significant but totally fixable issues,  and its a daylight basement mid century  so that should I decide to do it has great ADU and DADU potential,   and I paid about 60% of the average seattle SFR price.

The FHA says that examples of such problems include but are not limited to the following: Missing handrailsCracked or damaged exit doors that are otherwise operableCracked window glassDefective paint surfaces in homes constructed post-1978 (because of lead paint hazards)Minor plumbing leaks (such as dripping faucets)Defective floor finishes or coverings (worn through the finish, badly soiled carpeting)Evidence of previous (non-active) wood-destroying insect/organism damage where there is no evidence of unrepaired structural damageRotten or worn-out counter topsDamaged plaster, sheetrock or other wall and ceiling materials in homes constructed post-1978Poor workmanshipTrip hazards (cracked or partially heaving sidewalks, poorly installed carpeting)Crawl spaces with debris and trashLack of an all-weather driveway surface=================There are many areas, however, where the FHA does require problems to be remedied in order for the sale to close.Electrical and Heating The electrical box should not have any frayed or exposed wires.All habitable rooms must have a functioning heat source (except in a few select cities with mild winters).Roofs and Attics The roofing must keep moisture out.The roofing must be expected to last for at least two more years.The appraiser must inspect the attic for evidence of possible roof problems.The roof cannot have more than three layers of roofing.If the inspection reveals the need for roof repairs and the roof already has three or more layers of roofing, the FHA requires a new roof.Water HeatersThe water heater must meet local building codes and must convey with the property.Hazards and NuisancesA number of conditions fall under this category.

I cashed out 100% of my NON-retirement investment accounts in late 2017 and funded my RE portfolio growth, growing to 20 units. 

That basis is allocated between non-depreciable land, depreciable building and components that are depreciated faster.

After owning gas for all our adult lives, our architect convinced us that induction cooktops were as responsive as gas and much, much cleaner.

@Sean DohertyI have dealt with legal non conforming property before I think you would be ok, as long as you keep it rented and the property does not get damaged. 

Many hype this stuff and want to charge 2 to 5k non refundable fee's just to go into contract.. this leads to a lot of bad buys.. since you don't want to lose your deposit you close anyway.. 

@Brian H.I have read there are different departments of HUD and only the office/ department areas that are non essential will be furloughed or have to wait on pay .