At this point, compromising on points is the only solution to getting a deal done.

Make-ready services are always in demand, especially if you’re reliable and detail-focused.

Totally understand your focus on staying local for now, but if you ever consider exploring out-of-state investing or want to connect on strategies for building reliable teams and sourcing deals, happy to chat and exchange ideas.Wishing you the best as you dive into the Bay Area market — sounds like you’re off to a strong start!

Is it smarter to just buy in cash, at least until we have more efficient systems and reliable contractors?

I truly used to be so naive as to offer discounts for 2 year leases because I wanted the reliability.

Hey Dana, the biggest challenge with long-distance investing is building a reliable team.

The simple solution would be to work with a trusted and competent local agent to assist you in submitting offers.

All you need is a reliable cleaner and a handyman to get started.

We usually find our cleaners by posting on local Facebook community pages – it's a great way to connect with reliable, nearby cleaners without going through platforms that take a cut.For payments, we typically use Venmo, Bill.com, or sometimes pay them directly through the Airbnb co-host feature if they're helping manage turnovers.Bill.com is nice because it keeps everything organized and can issue 1099s at the end of the year, which helps with tax tracking.

@Gabe Kelley Here are a few solutions I can think off.* For an investment property you can easily do a DSCR loan, 20% down.* For an owner occupied, you can do a bank statement loan - I can use 12-24 months of personal bank statements to calculate your income.