But now you are opening yourself up to a possible increase in your rate, as it is adjustable and can go up.

Is it best to simply increase rent by a fixed amount (e.g., $700) to cover this, or are there other strategies for handling utilities in this situation?

The first couple is a no-brainer.The second group has too many people, increasing wear-and-tear on the home.

*As a side note, I think maybe it would be fun also to try and identify where new technology or machine-learning driven approaches could increase efficiency in the spaceAs for my financial situation, personally, I have around 50k saved but 20k of it is tied up in assets I don't want to pay capital gains tax on.

You can find SF properties that already have in law suites, garage units, etc, and now legally rent those, so it should increase the appraised value significantly.

Follow up with an email to the agent and bullet point your case, which increases the chance that the owner will actually hear them7.)

Leverage is a big factor in real estate investing, as investors can control large assets with relatively small down payments, increasing their potential returns (and risks).6.

You are already paying rent, so pay it to yourself to increase cash flow and accelerate savings for the next investment. 

Purchase price: $169,000 Cash invested: $33,800 Property was recently renovated to increase the value of the property and the cashflow What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

I would want to make improvements to all units and increase the rent to market value when the renovations are completed.