One option is to buy the home and pay them out in installments rather than taking out a bank loan right away.

Quote from @Robert Zajac: 15% markup on maintenance is one of the highest I've heard of.

I'm a retired engineer and have been successfully using income from these houses to support my retirement without dipping into retirement savings.I'm transitioning my business from rentals to a franchise and would consider selling one of my houses (5 br/4 ba - the other houses my son while he's still attending).

While I do not live in ID, I'd love to connect you with one of the best agents out there.

It’s one of the few places where you can realistically achieve solid returns without needing a massive upfront investment.If you’re open to exploring other markets, Detroit might be worth considering.

Actually, it is possible do structure a 1031 Exchange on the sale of one or more relinquished properties and then using the proceeds through the 1031 Exchange to construct improvements on real property you already own.

Also, ensure you're compliant with New York's security deposit laws, which cap deposits at one month's rent.

Then again no one gets into commercial dreaming of being a handyman. 

Hey Terri I only did one with them and of course they cancelled my contract and now they are trying to foreclose on it.

Then continue to scale - don't try and retire off one deal