I absolutely argee with @Kevin Siedlecki, real estate isn't a hobby.. it's a business and requires work... wine tasting is a hobby, that's just fun, also one of my favorite hobbies!    

After getting a taste for how nice it is to have someone else pay for my home I have really been interested in finding other properties that would work as well as my home has.   

You can accelerate depreciation benefits through cost segregation, Structure loans for quicker amortization depending on your goals, force appreciation through several types of improvements, and many other tricks.Everyone has their own specific investment tastes and beliefs.

Depending upon your buyer's "taste for return" you will have to price the partial at an annualized ROI that is attractive to the buyer. 

We have a great rapport with each other and have the same design tastes.

Well, I am having my first taste of the Landlord Blues.  

I like the idea of allowing some outside work as long as it's approved and tasteful for the area.  

I will live there the first year and then looking at renting, but the deal wasn't great, my realtor seems now to have been a very poor choice for looking at investment potential...would love advice on how to find a good realtor as I have a very sour taste in my mouth after this 'investment' that I think will break even in the end, but the whole process was very frustrating as it is also my first time buying a house (my husband bought the last one...I just looked at pictures and said it looked nice, lol)

You have a wide variance of potential profit, but if you very rough ballpark of $25k invested leads to $45k profit, and $50k leads to $70k in profit, I would strongly consider only rushing $25k and tastefully do the interior remodel, but leave out high end finishings.

When this is combined with a work/live situation I've found they've either carefully cared for, albeit sometime with wacky taste, or have substantial deferred maintenance.CRE investors, in general, don't have an appetite for investments like those described by you and above.