This initial negative equity position consumes the initial cash flow.  2) the addition of the adu makes the property multi family and likely makes rent control apply.  

Initially they said they would make payments to me and crap like they have millions in assets, just no liquid assets. 

With Baselane I have the ability to do everything from initial vetting of the tenant to drawing up the lease to collecting rent (and issuing deposit refunds!)

Is it better to keep adding equity by doing work on the houses while I'm renting them then refinance to recover the initial down-payment to reinvest into another property or to pay down the heloc?

For someone managing multiple properties or with a busy schedule, automating some parts (like initial messages) can save time while still allowing room for personal touches later.It’s inspiring to see your dedication to responding so quickly, even at 3:30am!

I am five months in quieting a title on a home/property that was initially obtained by my father in a tax sale.

Our initial goal has been to buy a property every time the Army relocates me (roughly every two years) and rent it out afterward.

Now if it was me, I would have gone over myself to initially survey the problem and at the least meet the plumber over there to assess the damage.  

The main reason is that it is not initially set up for a Real Estate business like other “real estate-specific” accounting software.

As a result, this isn’t the kind of market that attracts top-tier PM talent.Your best solution might be to either:1.Take on self-management if possible (and if you’re willing to put in the time/effort).2.Find an individual you can trust to handle these properties, set up very specific instructions and processes, micro-manage them initially to ensure standards are met, and compensate them well to make it worth their while.This approach requires more oversight on your part but can yield better results in markets like this.