You may want to try hiring a local handyman that you can email jobs to do and speak with 1-2 times weekly, meet 1-2 times monthly.Most will put on a good show for a few months then either get lazy and cut corners or start raising prices.

The 1161a section applies to situations where occupants hold over after the premises are sold. 

No personal experience here but here's a helpful reference from someone who wrote a blog about different aspects of a 2 flat remodel in Chicago Scroll to "Two-flat journal 6: How to make an all-electric house" - - speaks a little about heat pumps and cost In the HVAC section.  

This gives the investor the option to either solicit bids from the program’s contacts section or time the sale to avoid possible expenses.

My goal is to own ten 3 or 4 family properties for LT hold in the Dorchester or Jamaica Plain sections of Boston.

So let's say the purchase price is indeed $252k.20% down, 30 year fixed rate loan at 7.5%Monthly payment would be $1,410Property Taxes would be at least $2000/yr given that it is not homesteaded - so at least 165/monthInsurance will be around 80 to 100/month - we'll say 80/monthSo we are now at 1655/month before vacancy and capital expenses.You quote renting to a Section 8 tenant - I'd add $2400 in cap ex per year then. 

The company helps with the rest of the stuff like rent collection, late payment follow up, advertising vacant units, showings, tenant screening, leasing, renewals, reports, and evictions (which is a corner case).

Someone took six months to build a 1600 sq. ft. 3/2 block house on the vacant corner, without a garage and i got to know her through my neighbor who worked with her before.

The resources/websites/services are not mature enough to get information as easily as in the States.I couldn't find a section on BP that is dedicated to Canada and a lot of resources and discussions are specific to the States.

Out of state beginner investor initially looking at single family/duplex in Cleveland area to rent to section 8.