@Rob WilcoxYou are making way too many excuses...cut them loose and you need to brush up landlording 101 it sounds like to me...

@Ben MMix some bleach and baking soda to create a paste and apply to the moldy areas with a cheap paint brush.

I've heard of guys getting up there with a brush and a bleach solution, but it's usually for something like a patch of moss.

But I knew how to sell and close.now granted I sold land and ranch's so dress was jeans etc with boots for walking through the brush and such.But its really sales skills and techniques that are critical and I was taught by some of the best land men of their day.You had to take control from the first words out of your mouth.. if you are not controlling the conversation and the presentation you wont be a closer and closers is what U need to be if you want to make any money.I suspect that goes for wholesaling which many of you guys are trying to do  however which is MUCH tougher than just selling real estate you either own or is on MLS.  

A few cheap vanities, new coutnertop, twin pack brush nickel lights ($25), rolled vinyl, etc go far in this space.You mention "when they get evicted", that is a common occurrence in that space.

@Son D.Generally:Trade or business interest is not limited, except in the case of businesses with aggregate annual gross receipts of $25 million or more for the past 3 tax years, or in the case of tax shelters (what constitutes a tax shelter might surprise you -- it's painted with a pretty broad brush). 

Don't paint everybody with one brush.

I brushed him off for about 2 years and they are slowing buying everything up around me and I had no idea. 

Some of you who never troweled concrete or scooped JC out of a bucket or dipped a brush in a can of polyurethane act like your rental properties are harem virgins, and there are plenty of judges who don't know the first thing about property maintenance who are perfectly willing to back up any silly claim as long as a contractor submits an invoice.You don't know what you don't know if you don't investigate.

Regarding bear: there was a case last summer of a fishing guide in AK who got charged in dense brush by a Grizz and was able to stop it with a few rounds from a pocket 9 using +P, point blank so its possible although not recommended (12 gauge with slugs, 30.06, .454 etc would be better obviously, but a .9 in the pocket is better than a bazooka in the truck).