I suspect someone with cheaper rehab costs than mine purchased it with thinner margins than i seek. 

Also having a higher proportion of revenue generated through the residential component of the building does make financing easier. (3) The exception to the 80% rule I abide by is when the commercial space is leased to a credit tenant with a proven & sustainable business  or where the space presents the opportunity to attract a neighborhood amenity F&B operator (this is most beneficial in instances where you have a larger localized portfolio where these commercial tenants can positively impact the value of your overall residential portfolio).

Several things to consider: 1) One of the main purposes of segmenting your assets into separate LLC's is so that your personal net worth or equity in other business ventures or properties isn't exposed, so unless you have a high net worth or a lot of equity in a property, it might not be worth bothering going the separate LLC route, especially when it restricts your financing of the property.  2) Most any commercial financing you get from a local bank for a small property is going to have recourse anyhow and require that you sign a personal guarantee, so you're still personally on the hook to the bank even in the case of a commercial loan.  3) If you're a newer investor and buying a deal that's tight on cash flow, or if you don't have a ton of cash sitting in the bank already, your greatest risk factor as an investor is your investment failing economically due to poor financing terms or not operating the investment properly, not because you get sued. 

But like with all laws unless its enforced and has some teeth wholesalers wont give a rip they will just break the law and keep going until they are stopped.I wonder what companies like Great Western are  going to do. they have a big philly operation that deals in the low income areas where a lot of these deals are done. 

A friend of mine is trying to figure out what is a better long term strategy.

After operational expenses, there might be minimal tax.

About a month ago a family member of mine let him know that he was going to sell his dad's house.

I also wouldn't be involved in day-to-day operations onsite.

After nearly 3 years of operating history, I'm concerned that the properties are not performing well enough to warrant continuation of the venture, and I'm considering selling.

In fact, a common colleague of Chris and mine worked with them for a few years but departed once he learned of the issues outlined above.