Typically I've seen about $500-$800 annually in repairs per house per year so that can be viewed as a benchmark.

Other than saving a certain amount from each rent payment (for taxes, insurance, PM, general repairs, maintenance, Cap X, and vacancy), does anyone have a rule of thumb for what a good amount of reserves would be for a SFH or any 1-4 unit property? 

Repairs are slooowwww.

He earned quick money as a wholesaler, and I have a house to keep)Rehab cost: $20k (vinyl floor, interior paint, new dual pane windows, new toilets and bathroom vanities, lights, new landscape, new AC condenser, all done by handyman, spent some extra money for minor plumbing and electric jobs, hydro jet sewer lines, clean up attic (had mice), added some insulationTime spent: 3 weeks (two handymen for the first two weeks, one for the last week)Value after repair: probably around $440kJobs still need to be done later: some dryrots, roof work (it's tile roof, roof doctor quoted me $9k, handyman said probably $5k, home inspector said $15k you can get a new shingle roof.

What would you do in this case esp if they deny paying for the repair?

I made a few small improvements to the landscaping, I bought a few new appliances, updated a few fixtures, added blinds to the windows, minor drywall repair/paint, and marketed the property as a 4th bedroom that would make great home office/den instead of a 3 bedroom plus office/den.What was the outcome?

Cap rates are not very well defined as sometimes they don’t include repairs or vacancies.  

Overlooking Minor Repairs: Small issues like broken window locks, missing handrails, or leaky faucets can lead to inspection failures.Incomplete Documentation: Always have the necessary permits and contractor receipts for renovations and repairs.Neglecting Lead-Based Paint Testing: If your property was built before 1978, it may contain lead paint.

From a “landlording” lens, however, I’d recommend recruiting a solid team of locals (e.g. attorneys, leasing agents, property managers, contractors, etc.) who can help you with closing, leasing, maintenance, repairs, and capex.New construction and turnkey assets are also popular among long-distance investors, since you either won’t have to do much maintenance or capex at the outset (in the case of new construction) or can work with a single, full-service point of contact (in the case of a turnkey property).

They know the tenant base, median rents of different areas, how much to increase rent each year, ranges of repair costs (ex: tenant calls and says AC isn't working, no hot water, faucet is leaking, the HVAC system goes out).