I have read through Michael Blank's Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing and am ready to go on to next steps. 

Now with a blank canvas I got my contractors together and painted the picture.

I have on occasion learned that my client would ask the Realtor questions about the loan that I didn't know they had.

On several occasions, when I’ve noticed the tenant's car parked on the property, I’ve gone over and knocked on the door, but she hasn’t answered.

That is, if the host happened to read that email.They sent out new terms of service at that time, and it's addressed in one section: "3.7.7 ...You also acknowledge and agree that we may on occasion offer discount pricing for your Property; provided that (i) any such offers will be available with respect to a broad number of Listings and not limited to your Property; (ii) we will provide you with electronic notice of such discount(s); and (iii) you may opt out of a particular offer."

You fill in the blanks.

For instance, in your example (btw, we have had multiple occasions where this happens in the past few years) if you paid $200,000 for the house, put $40,000 into reno, and then closing costs, commissions, etc. were $15,000 you would simply add all this up and that is your basis in the property.

On the rare occasion you do, it is one breaker has gone off and they can wait for one of you to reset it.

I use mine for storage of beach toys, drying rack for swim suits, storage of extra supplies and on occasion it’s an extra parking space.  

I've found that when you push back using a logical argument based on evidence, you tend to get blank stares.