Even if I do a deal for my own portfolio and do not represent any parties to the transactions, I'm very concerned about the liability if something blows up.

Just a couple more points and then I'm going to shut up about this:The 50% "rule" is simply a tool, much like a chainsaw or a blow-torch.

So you're advocating (hopfully joking about killing people here) the removal of those people at the Right and Left and hoping for a movement towards centrism?

Part of the reason why I haven't done any big MFH deals (yet) is that I never want to put my family at risk if a deal blows up in my face, and I have highly conservative, self-imposed liquid reserve requirements as a result. 

Buy a small house, get it rented out, with income coming in and a real asset being paid for as the mortgage is paid down.Do NOT, for the love of God, blow the $15k on marketing campaigns in an attempt to get wealthy as a "wholesaler."  

Financially speaking this is almost always worth it in SF, but can be a harsh blow to existing tenants....who usually have to pack up and leave the city.

Im sure you've seen those people blowing large clouds out of the hand built vapes. 

One downside, however insignificant, is not paying into SS for the rest of your life might not allow you much in retirement, but if you are talking about having lots of income then maybe it doesn't matter.It blows me away you could live on 450k of equity AND add equity.

When you make money on sales which then fuels your investments then time is money.It often blows me away that brokers/agents do not have set criteria for accepting another possible client into their book of business.Some questions brokers/agents should be asking about an investor.1.

Another trick to counter the "friend as a landlord" trick is to call first and pretend to a potential tenant and watch them get flustered as you ask about technical lease terms.And to play devil's advocate, you also have to take the rental market into consideration.