@Rob Ibarra Converting non restaurant space into restaurant space can be fairly costly from what I understand due to the need for larger than standard water lines to service the building and a general need for grease traps and other restaurant specific infrastructure.My first question around going from abandoned auto shop to kitchen is zoning, could you even get the use approved, and then are their any environmental factors in play? 

A closing / title company can handle the transaction but may want to get a lawyer to draft the documents.Assuming you are buying in your name and not a LLC - if a LLC then there would need to be additional docs like a authorization for LLC to borrow $ etc

Tenants should have no authority to engage contractors without authorisation from the landlord and if they do they should never be compensated by the landlord.

Play with this calculator  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/upshot/buy-rent-cal...

Then think about if the property itself is a good candidate - this is the hospitality industry, principles of desirablity come into play.

I more so looking for a class A to B area that can produce a little cash flow but more of a equity play.

I live, invest, work, play in the Rochester, NY market. 

This is a tough one because your situation, income, risk tolerance all come into play when recommending other tax strategies.

That's the game, just have to play it. 

I'm always looking for ways to offer the best to my clients because I understand that cleanliness and organization play a significant role in the property's appearance, future returns, and client referrals.