Every component of a rental has a marketing message.

Plus they have just added a new component to the software that allow you to track all business items, not just rental income/expense related. 

@Lance Korsun As flipping is your vehicle, the biggest components that require a plan are Marketing/Networking, Financing, and Contractors.Actively networking will generate opportunities to find deals and build relationships in the industry. 

That's where you split up all the components of a new purchase so you can depreciate some of these faster than the overall 27.5 year timeline. 

When looking at performance of an asset class through market cycles, you will want to focus on two separate components; cash flow and asset value. 

Two of the major componants of mid rest rentals or east coast are not even present.

However, the most vital component of the purchase is vetting the PM who will be the success or failure of the property.  

While it doesn't have your kid element, our story does have the crazy predictable components of life.I too am looking for an opportunity to work on this full time so we I can stay home and raise our future kids.Feel free to pm me if you want to talk.

Tenants are extremely hard on appliances, it is not uncommon.Landlord Responsibilities: Landlord will at all times during the tenancy keep the premises fit for human habitation, and shall in particular:a.Cultivate, care for and mow surrounding grass, lawn, flowers, and shrubberyb.Maintain the premises to substantially comply with any applicable code, statue, ordinance, or regulation governing the premisec.Maintain the roof, floors, walls, foundations, and all other structural components in reasonable good repair as to be usable and capable of resisting normal loadsd.Keep any shared or common areas reasonable clean, sanitary, and safe from defects increasing the hazards of fire or accidente.Provide a reasonable program for the control of infestation by insects, rodents, and other pests at move in f.Except where the condition is attributable to normal wear and tear, make repairs and arrangements necessary to put and keep the premises in as good condition as at move ing.Provide reasonably adequate locks and provide keys to the tenanth.Maintain all electrical, plumbing (main lines), heating, and other facilities and appliances supplied by Landlord in reasonably good working orderi.Maintain the unit in reasonably weather tight conditionj.Provide facilities adequate to supply heat and water and hot water as reasonably required by the tenant

From there, you can determine what components are priority, and how much of a factor location will/should play into that.