We renovated 8 1980 vintage units and brought all rents to market ($875-900). 

Some homes I've put in basic Ikea type drapes along living room windows, some of the homes I've put in the faux wood 2" blinds, some the general Home Depot horizontal blinds.  

If it is lower than the rate of inflation then that means you are losing purchasing power each and every year and your cash faux is really just your purchase price being trickled back to you in slow monthly installments until CapEx eats your lunch and you realize you can't sell them for what you have in them.

I bought this vintage world map wallpaper mural for $ 85 on Amazon.

Everything you buy…furniture, clothes, televisions, jewelry, stereos, cellphones, computers….everything depreciates so where does it end?

There are other items, such as jewelry, that get marked up 600-900% all the time!  

The IRS looks at buying and selling houses just like buying and selling any other commodity -- you could be buying and selling shoes, buying and selling clothes, buying and selling jewelry, etc.So, the income is taxed at whatever your marginal income tax rate is, not a fixed rate like capital gains.

I would love to just put down the faux wood ceramic tiles throughout the whole house but have been told I can't lay them over the existing vinyl tile.  

This can happen in the owner inflated rents and gives concessions on multifamily property or an area has changed and rents are trending downward due to short sales or foreclosures etc.I also see this on retail commercial where a stated cash flow is 18 per sq ft average but the lease are vintage from 5 years ago and now market is 14 sq ft.

What’s the oldest vintage cabin you’d buy?