In many cases the sun and warm weather takes care of it before the tenants get around to it.

In CA hot weather the pool was once a nice feature when water supply was a limit. 

No one visits in 120 degree weather without a pool.Can you get some comps from local property managers (similar homes, pool or no pool, and what their respective gross rents are?). 

Interest rates "were" rising though they didn't increase again this quarter by the 0.25% forecasted so I suspect the economy isn't has good as they are claiming.

Be sure and have one analysis for forecasting, but go back and see what the real numbers are after a year.4.

The cool weather of fall will be here soon and many insects/rodents try to find their way indoors when the weather changes.

. $400k home, $300k contract, $300k mortgage, $100k worth of equity built in, which I surmise is enough cushion to weather the next storm.  

This includes a weather barrier as well. 

OR hang tight for many years, raise rents when or if I can and use my other rental property cashflow to weather CapEx expenses. 

We'll see if that continues.My view is that the winter here might be a good time to buy some fixer properties (hopefully) as the arm chair investors get out of the mix with the winter weather starting.