Thanks again.JohnnyOne way is to represent yourself on these low end properties.You are right, agents don't want to represent low end buyers, there is not enough juice in it.You may want to consider hiring a Fiduciary Buyer's Broker, this is an agent that represents you and gets paid by you. 

@Chris Bell - I would start with your local REIA / Meetup events.  

And it isn't) I think a game that could get your creative juices flowing would be amazing.  

Leverage is what juices cash-on-cash returns in real estate....without leverage, the returns often aren't that appealing.    

And I am also guessing, from your statements, that the current owner was not a stickler for maintenance and may have squeezed all the juice from the lemon (leaving you many of the the major and minor component to upgrade). 

@Andrew Fielder  real estate is belly to belly

The chamberlain MyQ can be added to existing units with a few simple upgrades one device connects to the garage door opener and a gateway that connects to the home router.Another inexpensive upgrade could be a Z-Wave switch that controls the interior or exterior lights that could increase ones sense of safety when getting home late.Also the Ring Door bell is a great value and safety add plus when combined with the door locks or garage door you could use it to screen deliveries or contractors and let people in on the fly while sitting in traffic on the 405 or a Highway near you.So with these basic smart home upgrades that almost any handyman or contractor could install rather the alternatives for little to no additional expense other then the materials.As far as padding the price or getting a return that is going to very from market to market and your renter/buyer.

They pull a *lot* of juice and are good at finding bad connections inside the wall. 

They are 100% perfectly fine with getting the 4% they were promised, it's when everyone goes belly up (2009 etc) that the taxpayers are on the hook.If rates go up and they need to unload those loans to buy some at future-higher rates because they want to make more money, they can sell the older lower rate 4% loans off on that same secondary market to gain access to that capital needed to buy some 7% loans.

Berkshire Hathaway could go belly up and I'm stuck with nothing. ( I highly doubt that will ever happen) but I mean I hardly consider buying property a gamble.