In California, our wonderful Gobernador enacted a Pandemic eviction moratorium, where Courts are not evicting people unless they are a danger for the community and if a Judge sides with you to overrule the moratorium.

It sounds like you've already spoken with some hard money lenders, but generally you can either reach out to them via phone and have a loan officer walk you through the process, or attempt their web form on your own.When I find a property that fits my criteria, I assume I will need the money before making the offer...What are the steps here?

My family members have attempted to speak directly with upstairs tenants to resolve issues and are only met with passive aggressiveness and denials.

It’s a serious habitability and fire hazard (google Oakland ghost ship). city could easily construe this as an illegal attempt to make a boarding home, etc. which can definitely lead to big fines, and having to dismantle everything.I’d run away!

Code REEB § 24.10Licensees shall not obtain, negotiate or attempt to obtain or negotiate any listing contract providing for a stipulated net price to the owner with the excess over the stipulated net price to be received by the firm as commission.Then you can ask them if it's legal to arrange the sale of real estate without a license in expectation of a fee.If you're OK, then I'd go download a free one on the Internet with lots of holes to allow you multiple "outs". 

So, do we do what the local apartment complexes are doing and go carpet/tile or do we do LVP in an attempt to ask more in rent (with the other upgrades).Additional  info: the duplex is located just outside city limits on a road the ends in a cul-de-sacWe would very much appreciate any input into this situation as we are both first time investors!

@Mike BiasattiWholesaling could be a potential avenue to get over that hurdle of a down payment, but I have noticed that most people who attempt to wholesale part time struggle to get the ball rolling.

So, do we do what the local apartment complexes are doing and go carpet/tile or do we do LVP in an attempt to ask more in rent (with the other upgrades).Additional info: the duplex is located just outside city limits on a road the ends in a cul-de-sacWe would very much appreciate any input into this situation as we are both first time investors!

It’s one thing to enact restrictive policies, but it’s completely another to change their policies every month so that no one knows how to plan.

I would attempt to BRRR some properties, but from some of the deals I have analyzed, I seem to be further ahead by investing in turnkey properties and putting 20% down.