My tenant is refusing to pay rent because of a heat issue.

Was it because they let the heat run out (oil or propane) and the pipes froze?

If the unoccupied units are very cold and there's a way to get power into them, it can be helpful to run a heat lamp on the main supply line where it comes into the unit.When you wrap the pipes, check the R-value of the product you're using and make sure you're using the one that provides the most protection.

And some places have hurricanes, tornadoes, hail the size of baseballs, sink holes, known foundation problems, harsh heat in the summer and severe cold in the winter - all increasing maintenance costs.

I come up with the following expenses:Mortgage Rate 4.75%Length of Mortgage in years 30Monthly Mortgage payment $129.11Taxes $47.33Sewer and Water $-Trash $-Heat/Utilities $-HOA $-Cap Ex and Ops $150.00Insurance $54.92Mgmt Fee $40.00Vacancy $30.00Total Expenses $451.36

If she can't afford heat, what makes you think she can afford repairs?

The rental market is supposed to heat up a lot.

Since I live in Miami & I am not familiar with heating systems, what electrical baseboard heating systems do you guys recommend that are cost effective & get the job done.

That's assuming you, as owner, are paying heat which is pretty typical here in this neck of the woods.You should calculate your actual cap rate based on actual expenses and using a realistic income figure for your owner occupied unit.I'm not a loan specialist but I would think any attempt to refi or strip assets based on the full potential of the buildings earnings would require you to have the unit rented.

Here are my expenses for year 1: Mortgage Rate 5.00% Length of Mortgage in years 30 Monthly Mortgage payment $3,105.78 Taxes $416.67 Sewer and Water $- Trash $- Heat/Utilities $- HOA $- Cap Ex and Ops $200.00 Insurance $266.67 Mgmt Fee $- Vacancy $207.00 Total Expenses $4,196.11 Years 2+: Mortgage Rate 5.00% Length of Mortgage in years 30 Monthly Mortgage payment $3,105.78 Taxes $416.67 Sewer and Water $- Trash $- Heat/Utilities $- HOA $- Cap Ex and Ops $200.00 Insurance $266.67 Mgmt Fee $600.00 Vacancy $360.00 Total Expenses $4,949.11