Paid a top local esigner to come have a look and all she did was insult our cute little place that was doing just fine.....But I think where a designer could add value is by suggesting unique areas, like game rooms, coffee bars, outdoor BBQ/play areas, and stuff like that. 

Replacing windows went up about $100 each just to play by the rules.

Well I have seen this come into play - I had someone who has a note in florida that was a non-owner occupied loan and the lender claims the borrower failed to make payments on this and attempted to record the deed in lieu.

Which makes my answer, as opposed to yours, applicable.Especially since I qualified mine by adding "...unless she adds more real estate work"Your argument reminds my of an old joke:- Doctor, will I be able to play violin after this surgery?

Memphis, Little Rock, Texas or Oklahoma all have been great plays.

Mailing is a slow play and takes volume.

Yes, having tenants pay ACH via a Tenant Portal software is best, but not all will cooperate and some will play games that result in NSF charges.We allow tenants to deposit cash/check/money order directly at our bank into our account.Many Class C & D tenants have challenges adapting to unfamiliar ways to pay and is often not worth the hassle (and possible evictions) to get them to change:(

Lease options are another play, where you rent a place with the right to buy later, sometimes using part of your rent toward the price.

If your tenant has been playing these "schemes" then likely they've done this with the previous landlord and gotten away with it - so I hope you bought the property for a good price in order to account for this potential headache. 

New construction in a saturated market isn’t always the best play if you’re looking for steady returns.A place like Rochester has way better fundamentals—lower buy-in, strong rent-to-price ratios, and stable demand from universities, hospitals, and major employers.