I would like to work out a payment plan whereby they pay me while I have control of the rights to the mortgage then in 10 years I pay off the principal.

I would like to be in control of my money, so I have always gone with the highest deductible posable and maximized cashflow.  

I don’t want to spend a month in a dump.  

So far the concerns I have discovered would be things like control of collateral, maintenance requirements/margin calls, and various fees that may be charged on quarterly or annual basis.

Little to no rehab/capex spending was needed.

. - All they've got to learn is to save some of their income to pay their bills on time and they could then afford to buy a home.Instead, they spend every penny they make on things they don't really need and then blame everyone else.Take a look at a Class C or D tenant's bank statement to see the frivolous things they spend their money on and you'll better understand our society's biggest problem.

Single family homes are exempt from rent control everywhere in the state.  

After spending the past two years learning the ins and outs of underwriting and analyzing deals, I’m ready to take the next step and acquire my first multifamily property (20+ units).I’m looking to connect with like-minded investors who are interested in partnering on this journey.

I'm not opposed to spending the money and have a demo scheduled with them this week, but was curious if anybody else has other data providers that they like better for more niche areas of distress such as bankruptcy, probate, divorce, code violations etc. that I can stack with my current data.I have submitted right-to-know requests with the local counties but only certain information is available and can be cumbersome.

The lessons you learned the hard way in 2008 will be invaluable now, and it’s great that you’re aiming to stay small-scale and within your comfort zone of Sacramento, which gives you an advantage of knowledge in that market.Given your experience, I'd say start by focusing on three key areas to build confidence and minimize risks:Budget Control: Over-renovating was one of the big mistakes you mentioned.