With decades of experience I can say the vast majority of "cash-cow" properties I, my clients, associates and friends have had started off with minimal to near 0 cash-flow.

I used light floors and dark walls for contrast and light furnishings pushed against the dark walls for pop.

-Loan Extension Fees-Early Payment PenaltiesLots of good advice from everyone else above, but wanted to add this as if you can find a lender that minimizes these extra charges that can make a big difference

There are a number of guidelines the IRS has for performing a proper cost segregation study (which will pass in the event of an audit) Here is the link to that list on the IRS website:Cost Segregation Audit Technique Guide - Chapter 4 - Principal Elements of a Quality Cost Segregation Study and ReportI have never seen a DIY before, but I'm sure people do it.Depending on the size and type of your property the fee for engaging a qualified engineer-based firm to conduct the study can be as low as $3,000 (lower in certain cases), and the significant benefit created well outweighs the minimal costs.

The rent is the rent no matter how many beds are filled so the house is incentivized to keep the house full with people serious about sobriety and paying bills on time to minimize each persons monthly rent. 

But it’s been a great business for us with minimal risk, a good return, and no need to please investors or manage employees!!!

It seems that the complainant is a new investor just starting their real estate journey, and after using Biggerpockets as an educational platform, they felt compelled to utilize highly rated turnkey companies to minimize risk.

Or is there another way to structure the deal so that there is minimal delay in the event of a default to have the property transferred back to you (i.e. additional clause in the performance deed or some other contract, etc.)?

People take narrow crappy photos of dark rooms, blinds closed, with close-ups of who knows what because there WAY to close-up.   

What you get when you let a tenant paint is roller-marks of the wall color on the ceiling, drips and runs, patchy covering, spilled paint, silly accent walls/ too many colors, uneven lines on edges and in corners, splatters, blistering, bubbling, peeling, the wrong sheen, visible brush marks and roller strokes, trim painted the same color as the walls, electrical outlets and switches and even light fixtures, vents, cold air returns, fart fans etc. all painted when they shouldn’t be, not enough coats where paint actually should be, and terrible color choices (almost always too dark or too weird).