Not having an Agent - is a mistake in my opinion, they will help with Good vs Bad Areas, price comparables, setting up contractors...but you need to find a Good AGENT.Thanks, Brent Byers

Will I have any trouble getting the house insured at comparable rates to a house that would have other wise been under my personal name?

Unless you purchase a property where 100% of all the mechanical systems  or major elements like the roof are new, you may need reserves beyond the $7K required by FHA.  

Since I'm in California, I'm looking to actually invest outside the state, because of the high initial capital I'll need to pony up, compared to other places.  

Definitely compare what brand of equipment each is using, a Goodman is going to be a lot cheaper than something like Carrier but will most likely give you a lot more trouble.   

@Benjamin CowlesI think the short answer is just because a lot is owed on a house compared to what it is worth, don't overlook them. 

Using Vancouver as a data point to justify Toronto'a comparatively calm market is self rationalization.Yes, the divergence of real estate prices to the underlaying economy may continue for a few more years and, if folks are fortunate, it will gear down slowly on its own with only a small retrenchment in prices.  

@John VietmeyerIt all depends on your location and other comparable homes.

This will allow you to start learning how to determine what the value of a property by seeing what other houses sold for comparable to your subject property (Comps). 3.

My parents are trying to decide whether or not to payoff the mortgage on a single family rental they own in Las Vegas.  2  I'm trying to do a ROI analysis so that we can compare whether or not they should keep the 100,000 in the stock market or not.3.