Low cost, possibly yes, but also possibly very time consuming and that has a cost.  

And cost is not coming down.

Second thing would be to work with a contractor, this is great stuff to do since you know building a house, building material costs, and knowledge of right and wrong what to do. 

The concept makes a lot of sense but paying $700 a month to network is quite the cost/commitment.

Multiple people including myself have tried to caution him of the the true costs but he's been repeatedly dismissive and has made it clear we give him motivation and he wants to prove us all wrong (whatever that means). 

He's changing the terms of the agreement, and you can choose to accept it or reject it.I don't think it's fair to pass this cost onto the tenant just because you are unwilling to stand up to the contractor.

Platforms like Avail can help if you prefer to self-manage but still require time for repairs.Tax-wise, repair costs may be deductible immediately, while major improvements must be depreciated over 27.5 years.

The key is making sure the deal’s numbers work, your profit should justify the higher cost of capital. 

It hurts the tenants ability to find another rental, nobody wins, and it takes forever costing you money. 

Can try to reposition to Class B, but neighborhood may impede these efforts.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, but 15-20% should be used to also cover tenant nonpayment, eviction costs & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores of 560-620 (approaching 22% probability of default), many blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 2 years.