Its much harder to turn a property around in 6 months expecting to have 100% of your money returned back to you - but if you focus on the right property focusing on highest and best use with an ADU add (like mentioned), in-fill/lot split, or other rehabs - then hopefully a semi-decent property like that will perform like a champ in a few years. 

Spending the owner's money, not saying anything, and letting them discover it while reviewing the monthly statement is unprofessional.

Then I have monthly interest payments until sold.

I actually ended up going through a big career change, and attended a 6-month bootcamp to learn Software Development after 7 years cooking professionally in fine-dining kitchens. 

She's on a fixed monthly income and cannot afford home repairs.

I would include servicing costs of the loan and licensing costs.

No gas service but electric.

As another poster mentioned rates are lower than they've been in the previous 18+ months but unless some very surprising economic data comes out between now and when you did your refi it seems unlikely that rates are going up in the short term and there is at least a decent chance that rates drop a little more before then. 

. - Minimum work history: 1 year (please provide references and pay stubs for the past 3 months; if self-employed we can discuss alternatives to paystubs)

In the coming months, they may be released from their government overlords.