Cleaners, google is your best bet 

@Tomer Einy generally neighborhoods with an ARV of about 250-350k are your best bet right now.

(Usually for someone without a lot of experience, family or close friends are your best bet.)

I suspect my poor experience with Furnished Finder is because my units are very close to Harvard & MIT and, as such, are very popular with visiting scholars who are willing to pay top dollar for the amenities and location.

However, if improvements were substantial then indeed a Cash out refi will be your best bet, and depending on your credit score, and cash flow you will be between 75%-80%. 

I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years.

I think its not a terrible idea at all and should be pretty good idea actually.I'd recommending reading this "House Hacking" book from the BP Bookstore as your best bet for next step and understanding this process!

It was hard to tell if the haters were because of a poor installation by the franchisee or a flawed product.

After reading rich dad poor dad, it really open my eyes that there are more opportunities out there.

The ones that are "odd" are just poor communicators.