I have seen folks go on to do great things with paid training.as well as seen many and its probably the majority do nothing with it.. and end up selling their books and tapes on E bay for 50 bucks.thats where i would start E bay look to buy every guru's books and tapes you can find listen/read all the material and see if there is anything you learn from that.   

The property is in North Carolina and I wanted to make a strong offer so I put a higher due diligence fee which becomes non-refundable unless the seller is in material breach which I would argue this is but would take take time settle.

As someone with basic framing/DIY knowledge, this is something I would feel comfortable tackling over a long weekend and would only cost me around $500 in materials. 

This might involve updating certain aspects of the property to meet modern standards.Permit Acquisition: Obtain all necessary permits from the city, which may include demolition permits, building permits, electrical permits, and plumbing permits.Restoration Process:Debris Removal: Clear out all debris and damaged materials from the property.

To qualify, you generally need to spend more than 750 hours per year on real property trades or businesses in which you materially participate.

You can qualify for this by:Having tenants for 7 days or less at a time.Materially participate, typically with the test: You participated in the activity for more than 100 hours during the tax year, and you participated at least as much as any other individual (including individuals who didn’t own any interest in the activity) for the year.If you materially participate, you can offset your non-passive income even if you have W-2 income.

For example, things like tools or building materials that I buy specifically for repairs on these units.

Paint correction and detailing take hours of labor, materials, and a dust free environment.

The key is to have a detailed scope of work itemizing the materials and grade of materials to ensure that the contractor will complete the job for the original agreed amount. 

The only upgrade I made to the condo while there was a fresh paint job that was done by my generous brother-in-law FOR FREE (minus materials) and the epoxy I handled myself in the garage.