I'll update everyone if my feelings for ALE change.  

My family and I did A LOT of moving around and job hopping over the past 5 years but we feel like we're finally settling down and focusing on our financial future and our real estate goals.

Besides, I have my job over here so I happily fork out the 5% in commissions so I don't have to deal with tire kicker buyers over there and save the headaches for my day job. lolAs an investor I will tell you this.

Feel free to reach out!

Where I'm at in California, if staff (the planner) is being obstinate, then the other two routes are 1) hire a land use attorney or entitlement consultant and if they feel that you have a case to build just one home without going through the subdivision process, then they may be able to compel staff in a way you can't, or 2) talk to an elected official who may be able to sway staff to give you what you want.

I don't have the SSN from any of my tenants due to this but I do have a copy of their Drivers License number which I feel is good enough. 

You should be able to pull up a property on the MLS, zoom in on the map, and feel familiar enough to know if it's in a good area, marginal area, or bad area because you have first hand experience seeing it.

There are some unique loan options available for STRs--feel free to use me as a resource for any lending questions! 

Will be my first ever home here in Dallas Fort Worth, but I’ve lived here all my life and feel that it’s my competitive advantage knowing the ins and outs of a majority of the metroplex.

Feel free to reach out if you need advice and best of luck!