I have an associate who is not a frequent BP poster but I met him and his wife on BP and have met him in their hometown and had lunch with them..

I think it was running the water heater too frequently. 

More frequent site visits can also pay off; get them on a maintenance inspection schedule and address energy wasters as you see them.

As far as the lender, many loan officers don't want to deal with investor loans or have much higher rates and fees than lenders who deal with them frequently, so it wouldn't hurt to research investor-friendly ones, especially those that work with up to 10 properties versus just 4 so you can start establishing a long-term relationship with the right people.  

Good tenants were placed with gross rent of $1200.Property manager calls me frequently worried about the house washing away in the next rain.

Even in my own house, I prefer the LVT due to the fact that carpet collects dirt that no matter how often you vacuum or clean it, stills collects allergens and dirt that will not come out, not to mention the stains etc. 

There are obviously a lot of other factors in play here, but taking the above scenario in a vacuum, and given the current market and financing options, etc., I'd be interested to hear people's opinions.

I agree with the others: I ask that tenants vacuum but see carpet cleaning as my responsibility. 

After removing the existing floor make sure you vacuum twice to remove debris.  

How frequently did you go out to the property supervise / check- in on things?