They had a clause in their leases stating that any combined gas and electricity charge over $175 would be billed back to the tenant, so they were covering the first $175 of any bill.  

Roof - adds no value, unless in disrepair - houses are expected to have a functioning roof.Electrical - adds no value - especially if systems are consistent with the neighborhood/age of property. - might consider upgrading fixtures if it will make the place brighter and a little more appealing.Curb Appeal - best bank for your buck- sweet equity.Appraisers are people too, not robots, so a home that feels comfortable, well maintained and clean will affect the value.

Be sure properties have good, qualified renters paying the rent, so that your expenses can be paid as you progress forward. 5) Be mindful of balloon payment options in combination with your different offers to ease the  acquisition process.6) With terms, you can make an offer of "full asking price".

I treated the walls and ceilings (with a garden sprayer) with a bleach/water combination as well as tea tree oil, then primed with the best primer I could find, then painted the whole place.

It would be analogous to the more usual situation of a parent co-signing on the mortgage of their child who does not have sufficient income or credit score for a loan, but in combination of both parent(s) + child the loan gets approved. 

if you're going to flip just make it completely functional with no repair issues.

Just looking for the best preferably cheap deals - Strategy - Looking to do a combination of flipping and rehab + hold/rent- I will have 50-100k cash to use.

You don't find many houses in Savannah with basements, if made functional, that is a pretty big selling feature. 

No pts, no closing costs.I am thinking i'll do that but I just asked him what I could get, rate wise, to combine both loans and fix the rate (I'm afraid of that variable home equity I have out).

On either a job he installed or even an installation from another company, he offered to come and inspect the unit periodically, grease up everything and make sure that it is functionally properly.