It's a great opportunity to be here and one thing that brought me to this community is the idea that we will not swindle grandma but we want everyone to benefit from our deal.

I have experience working with Minneapolis, St Paul, Columbia Heights, Falcon Heights, and indirectly St Louis Park, Hopkins, and a few other municipalities.

Maybe they benefit and that's great, but a large part of valuing wealth and what it afford comes in the struggle to obtain it.

I know there are some folks who rent two units in the sam building separate but also are able to combine them for bigger groups and having that flexibility could benefit you!

I cannot think of a way that you (the LL who stands to "benefit" by them repairing their own space that they are paying you to use) will come across in a positive way.Plus, the tenant who incurred damage due to the other tenant's leak, may have some legal rights to have the tenant with the leaking pipes pay for the repair in both spaces.Now, beyond the legal side, you also need cognizant that most mom and pop tenants (which I assume these are) are not great with their money.  

When evaluating long-term real estate opportunities, keep in mind the four key pillars of investing:Appreciation – Focus on how your property’s value grows over time.Cash Flow – Assess your rental income after accounting for all expenses.Tax Benefits – Leverage deductions like depreciation to reduce your tax burden.Debt Pay Down – Use rental income to pay down your mortgage, steadily building equity.Think of it like investing in a 401(k) with a long-term perspective—especially in California, where property values can appreciate significantly over time.

That was the biggest benefit that came up time and again was the amount of time that they stay in the property reducing turnover.

As a property manager, creating a standard that establishes the trifecta of benefits and tension is good. 

The goal of real estate is to have the big FOUR - cash flow, equity, appreciation, and tax benefits.

You are in a great spot to re-start your journey, especially with the help of your VA benefits and service to your country.