As you get into the suburbs, the expectations and the rules are different.  

For quick sale we are prepared to sell at the 1% rule of current rents and will consider owner financing with 20% down (30 year @ 7% w/ a balloon between 3-7 yrs). 

I also just generally compared to the 1% rule. 

The 70% rule is more like a heuristic, depending on the property you should go lower or higher on the offer.

I accept them and mitigate the risk by (a) screening the animals, (b) having a solid set of rules that are quickly and fairly enforced, (c) regular inspections, especially for cat units, and (d) charging a monthly pet fee.Let's say I have five single-family homes.

This is better than not speaking with your aunt, letting the problem linger and likely worsen.From my experience, in New York, the ultimate decision will depend on many factors and Liberal judges (as told to me by others with way more experience in these matters) can rule in favor of someone with a sob story. i.e.

I will be really interested to see what stance BP rules committee takes.

A good rule of thumb is this:  Be careful and fully understand the risks of "getting in bed with the government". 

Simple rule of thumb is demo, then most inner to most outer, meaning: studs, plumbing/electrical, drywall, etc going to outside, then/together with top to bottom.

You can look into a cost seg study to accelerate some of this depreciation.Beyond the basic deductions, keeping a detailed record of shared expenses and understanding the split-use rules can maximize deductions.For house hacks, depreciation is typically taken on the rental portion only (50% in your case).