I would love to maximize cash flow but also do not want to be left on an island if there is damage. 

It's all in how conservative you are in your approach to underwriting your deals.Even when a Seller says they've improved the property, the tenants are still tenants and do damage to brand new improved units. 

The risk of property damage or a lawsuit from a dog bite is too high. 

It occurred to me today that I've never asked about umbrella insurance claims.I’m particularly interested in real-world examples where this type of policy came through during:Property damage (fires, storms, floods, etc.)Liability claims involving tenants or third partiesMajor unforeseen eventsIf you’ve ever had to file a claim and your umbrella policy saved your bacon, I’d love to hear:What happened?

Seller financing can be a valuable tool when used correctly, but its effectiveness depends on how it's structured and implemented.

In the event you do have to pay for the repair (although I would heavily contest this with the contractor) I think its fair to charge the tenants with an explanation that you did incur damages for the repair although you previously believed that you would not 

the way to go about it is turn it over to your insurance and get the police report.. sometimes insurance will then subjugate the claim and go after the tenant criminally I had that happen on one of my rentals where the tenant did 40k in malicious damage on a new construction home I purchased in MS. 

In your case, changing the property from a rental to your primary residence constitutes a change in use.The depreciation recapture will be calculated based on the fair market value of the building at the time of conversion, not including the land value.Since you're tearing down the existing structure, the entire amount of depreciation taken over the past two years will likely be recaptured, as the building's value at conversion will effectively be zero.The recaptured amount will be taxed as ordinary income, up to a maximum rate of 25% for residential rental property (Section 1250 property).

It's mostly Class A properties, a few Class B.You may find the below copy & paste info useful in addressing your question:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Falling out of compliance can lead to penalties, lawsuits, and even damage to your reputation as a landlord.