One caveat is that his book focuses on the California market which tends to have pronounced booms and busts. 

That's a toss up.The ones in Los Angeles (downtown, Glendale, Hollywood etc) some old some newer tend to be booked for months on end and the weekly rentals aren't exactly chump change.  

Then turn the lots into community gardens were the neighbors could grow veggies and fruits and do it all on the honor system..We see that here in Oregon there will be a little stand in front with freshly harvested fruits or veggies with a donation can ( Coffee can) and you just pull over and grab some tomato's or such and then leave your money in the donation can.. and every few days the volunteers that are tending the garden come by and empty the can.. and use that to buy things to better the garden...

I like the idea of shared employee, so I hire someone as weekend staff, they hve regular jobs but needs the extra boost for that bag she likes at the department store, this helps out an individual and is cheap, extra income is always good, they also tend to help and go out of their way for you.

I tend to be a great problem-solver, so you can always bounce questions off of me.  

Many of them with long term leases and/or very long term clients i.e. doctors, dentists, attorneys, etc. who don't tend to move around much. 

Toll Brothers plans tend to be traditional and they are not super innovative.

Tend to be overbid.

I tend to stay away from any properties with "compromised" locations - busy street, power lines, commercial adjacent, etc - unless it is a phenomenal deal.  

I live and invest in GA, and both areas tend to be good rental markets; but you absolutely "must" know the "hot pockets" (and cold), in order to pull the proper returns out of your investments; and I think that's something the company didn't proper explain to you (assuming they knew).