It might be that my "ulterior motive" sensor is not operating at 100% but I did not sense "come with me instead" at all.  

Last time the motion sensor light went out in the backyard he told me about it and promptly went out bought another one and installed it himself.

We are all a mix bag of nuts and everyone has different sensors. 

A lot of factors at play here Mitchlyn, but keep in mind a few things -- Most lenders will not do a 100% re-fi, but if your equity spread is enough, then maybe it will work out that way for you; HELOC loans will typically be up to 80% ARV and are cheaper and re-usable compared to a re-fi mortgage; if you're planning to rent out these properties for a good positive income spread over what you have to pay out, then it might be wiser to use the borrowed funds to pay for these remodeling expenses since they will be more than covered by your incoming rents, thereby essentially making the remodel costs free to you, and that way you can save your cash in savings for a down payment on another property or a vacation, or other bills...

For outdoor lighting, I would install a sensor or timer so a tenant wouldn't accidently leave the light on during the day. 

The type of sensors are different for kitchen vs bedroom as well and there are specifications for where and how many.