Bring donuts or cookies. 

Not everything or every lifestyle is cookie cutter, it is also creative lifestyle and survival.

@Charli Cook I am in the DMV area and had a similar experience with 203K and FHA.

You need to look at similar houses, similar size, as cookie cutter close to your house as possible, as nearby as possible, ideally in the same neighborhood, and look at their selling prices. 

If you go cheap on your rehab, cut corners, and/or go with cookie cutter mid-grade finishes, it's going to show on the back-end when you can't charge as much and you have fewer interested prospects.2) The rehab will add significant value to your property and you can leverage your newly acquired equity into more investments.

Cookie cutter basic house but not much return.  

Also, every deal is different --- well unless maybe you are working in some really cookie cutter development or you know the area very well.Is this person going to be your "boots on the ground?" 

I purchased a house in 2008. I spent 3 years renovating it by myself. I had it rented out for the past 7 years give or take. I am in the process of selling right now. I am not an expert in the Real Estate game. Howev...

@Natalie Kolodij is my tax strategist, and she's one smart cookie. 

Give a mouse a cookie...In the end, you'll have to decide what is a reasonable maintenance request and what is not, and communicate that to your tenants.