Some mechanics have a $40,000 toolbox full of all sorts of high and low tech stuffSome have a hammer and duct tape in a shopping bag.It's not always the right tool, but sometimes you may need to pull that one out.

Your wife is a US citizen and I assume you're classified as non-resident alien.Really this post is great to educate you on the mechanics of calculating taxable income for a rental property but it's focusing on the minutiae a little bit considering your personal situation.High level thoughts:-Does your wife have an FBAR and/or 8938 obligation? 

Mortgage liens will all go away as well as mechanic liens.

I also figure repairs to bigger assets would be much more complicated such as the mechanicals.

He found more rotten beams, mechanical issues with the heating, the pipes to the water heater was hazardous and can cause leaks.

I'm curious about some of the mechanics? 

My plan is to keep my current job as an Industrial mechanic, and invest on the side while still working my full time job.

And to not get burned when investing with an emphasis on appreciation, you need to understand your market down to a gnats-*** level of detail and watch it like a hawk. 

It causes me a few extra trips a year to reset a breaker, but I have to believe it makes the tenants more prudent about overloading if they know they have to call me to get it reset.Other than resetting the breaker, I can see no other good reason a landlord would allow tenants access to the basement mechanicals. 

Also what would guarantee the partner would get their money out, mechanics lien?