We made an offer and sure enough "multiple offers, best and final".

I’d love a tool that used equations to quickly add up analysis across multiple markets.- What sites do you use to pull macro data from?

If i were in your situation, with my own risk/reward profile and my own investment goals, i'd seriously consider a home equity loan to be used as down payment for multiple, out-of-state rentals. 

There's always room for negotiation especially when you're not in a multiple bid situation.

You need no experience with an apartment complex with multiple units where one vacancy does not hurt so bad financially. 

I have worked over 24 hours straight multiple times.

If you have had to come out to the home multiple times for several plumbing issues, you need to hire a professional to look over the system and fix the issue.

we've been asked the same question by a dozen or so good friends who live in/near SF about whether it's worth postponing the ownership dream, given where the bay area market is in 2018. personally, I think that right now is the time to hold off on entering the bay area market... unless you find a truly off-market, discounted opportunity through networking or a personal connections.sidenote: moving to the east bay (alameda, particularly) actually shortened my commute time into my day job in SF, compared to when i lived in SF. i'm sure you've heard this perspective before, but there's goodness to be found in the east bay, if you are dead set on buying in 2018/2019.from an investing perspective, there are still strong returns to be found outside of california. that's why we recommend to friends with capital that they consider looking into investment. that way they can start building wealth now and position themselves for buying that beautiful home when the time is financially right. sidenote: i recently posted on a similar topic on this thread. you can see if you scroll down and there are dozens of other helpful comments on this topic, on that thread: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/12/topics/587593-general-do-you-rent-or-own-the-home-you-currently-live-in?

most leads are pointless , If I get 20 contacts some are rentals , people contacting multiple agents , people already working with an agent , or just general inquiring.

If you and your wife file a joint return then from the federal perspective you and she (or rather the tax return that reports the activity of the properties - all of them both from during your marriage and before your marriage) are one and the same tax payer.